Death in Africa W. E. B. Du Bois
du bois (center) @ 95th birthday party in 1963 in ghana, president kwame nkrumah (right) , first lady fathia nkrumah
ghana invited du bois africa participate in independence celebration in 1957, unable attend because u.s. government had confiscated passport in 1951. 1960 – year of africa – du bois had recovered passport, , able cross atlantic , celebrate creation of republic of ghana. du bois returned africa in late 1960 attend inauguration of nnamdi azikiwe first african governor of nigeria.
while visiting ghana in 1960, du bois spoke president creation of new encyclopedia of african diaspora, encyclopedia africana. in 1961, ghana notified du bois had appropriated funds support encyclopedia project, , invited du bois come ghana , manage project there. in october 1961, @ age of 93, du bois , wife traveled ghana take residence , commence work on encyclopedia. in 1963, united states refused renew passport, made symbolic gesture of becoming citizen of ghana. while stated renounced u.s. citizenship @ time, , did state intention so, du bois never did. health declined during 2 years in ghana, , died on august 27, 1963, in capital of accra @ age of 95. du bois buried in accra near home, du bois memorial centre. day after death, @ march on washington, speaker roy wilkins asked hundreds of thousands of marchers honor du bois moment of silence. civil rights act of 1964, embodying many of reforms du bois had campaigned entire life, enacted year after death.
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