Transcending Nationalities: Shirley Graham Du Bois and the Making of a New African Personality in Ghana

In everything I do, write or say, I think of myself as your ambassador, faithfully representing the true Ghana. Shirley Graham Du Bois made the above statement in a letter to Ghana\u27s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on October 20th, 1966, eight months after the overthrow of Nkrumah\u27s government. The letter revealed her continued support for Nkrumah\u27s vision of uplifting the Black race and defending Africa against neo-colonialists. The defense of Africa has always been a major theme for black nationalists. For instance, the likes of Edward Blyden and W.E.B. Dubois were described by historian James Meriwether as vindicationists because they chose to challenge and correct negative stereotypes about Africa and people of African descent. This paper argues that Nkrumah\u27s pursuit of a new African personality provided another vehicle to vindicate Africa and became an avenue for diaspora Africans to assert themselves in Africa. Graham Dubois was an American who died as a Tanzanian. Examining her lived experience in Africa, highlights the multiple ways diaspora Africans envisioned Africa and contributed to its developments. This examination will test the validity of the bad times thesis said to be the driving force behind African Americans\u27 interactions with Africa