General News of Tuesday, 14 September 2004

Source: GNA

America helps Dubois Centre to the net

Accra, Sept. 14, GNA - The US on Monday signed a grant agreement for 220 million cedis to connect the Dubois Memorial Centre in Accra to the cyber network to promote greater learning about the renowned Black American activist. The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs. Mary Carlin Yates said the grant raked from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, would be used to restore and digitally archive the personal library and papers of Dr. W.E B Dubois.

It will also include 3,000 books Dr. Dubois collected on African American history, politics and culture, and 21 others written by the scholar himself. Mrs Yates said the support was to demonstrate the US government's support in promoting more research into links between Africans and African-Americans in the Diaspora and to encourage more people to learn about Dr. Dubois's work.

Professor George Hagan, Chairman, National Commission on Culture who signed for the grant on behalf of the Centre said the project was to ensure that scholars access Dr. Dubois' work through the use of the internet. " The vision driving the transformation of this shrine is that it should become a Centre of excellence for the celebration of African Genius and the study of African history, Art, Culture and Politics. He expressed appreciation to the US government for the gesture.