Akyaaba Addai-Sebo (born October 1950) is a Ghanaian analyst, journalist and pan-African activist who is credited with developing in 1987 the recognition of October as

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

in the UK. With

Ansel Wong Ansel Keith David Wong (born 4 October 1945"Papers of Ansel Wong"

, Addai-Sebo co-edited the 1988 book ''Our Story: A Handbook of African History and Contemporary Issues''. Addai-Sebo's activism spans the African continent, the United Kingdom and the United States, and his influences include

C. L. R. James Cyril Lionel Robert James (4 January 1901 – 31 May 1989),Fraser, C. Gerald, '' The New York Times'', 2 June 1989. who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J. R. Johnson, was a Trinidadian historian, journalist and Marxist. His works are i ...

Chancellor Williams Chancellor Williams (December 22, 1893 – December 7, 1992) was an American sociologist, historian and writer. He is noted for his work on African civilizations prior to encounters with Europeans; his major work is ''The Destruction of Black Civ ...

John Henrik Clarke John Henrik Clarke (born John Henry Clark; January 1, 1915 - July 16, 1998) was an African-American historian, professor, and pioneer in the creation of Pan-African and Africana studies and professional institutions in academia starting in the ...

, Tirivashe Madondo and Jewell Mazique.

Background

Born and raised in Ghana, Addai-Sebo was part of Kwame Nkrumah's Young Pioneers Movement. His education took him in the 1970s to the United States, where he was active when "Negro History Week" became "

", and witnessed how its national annual observance renewed a sense of pride in African-American children. Among those he worked with in the US were

Yosef Ben-Jochannan Yosef Alfredo Antonio Ben-Jochannan (; December 31, 1918 – March 19, 2015), referred to by his admirers as "Dr. Ben", was an American writer and historian. He was considered to be one of the more prominent Afrocentric scholars by some Black ...

Kwame Ture Kwame Ture (; born Stokely Standiford Churchill Carmichael; June 29, 1941November 15, 1998) was a prominent organizer in the civil rights movement in the United States and the global pan-African movement. Born in Trinidad, he grew up in the Uni ...

, and Jewell Mazique. Addai-Sebo established a radio programme on Pacifica Radio called ''African Roots American Fruits'' and ran a schools education programme in the libraries of

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. In January 1984, he moved to England, seeking refuge from political persecution during the regime of former military leader

Jerry John Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...

. Settling in London with his wife, Nana Akua Owusu, Addai-Sebo was soon interacting with such members of the Black activist community as C. L. R. James and

Darcus Howe Leighton Rhett Radford "Darcus" Howe (26 February 1943 – 1 April 2017)"Civil ...

, within a year of his arrival taking on the roles of Special Projects Coordinator at the Greater London Council (GLC), and Chair of the African Refugees Housing Action Group, and later Operations Manager of the Notting Hill Carnival.

Black History Month UK

As Special Projects Coordinator of the Ethnic Minorities Unit at the GLC, Addai-Sebo was instrumental in inaugurating the UK's annual

, first celebrated in 1987. He "conceived an annual celebration of the contributions of Africa, Africans and people of African descent to world civilization from antiquity to the present and got a lot of support from the leadership of the GLC and ILEA and most especially from Mr.

Ansel Wong Ansel Keith David Wong (born 4 October 1945"Papers of Ansel Wong"

, Head of the Ethnic Minorities Unit and the leader of GLC, Mr. Ken Livingstone." Discussing his inspiration in 2020, Addai-Sebo wrote:

"I had lectured about African traditions in the United States, and children and their parents told me it had given them a new sense of self. Despite all its grand institutions of higher education, the UK was still a touchstone for colonialism, imperialism and racism. ... I devised a plan with the help of the pioneering team at the GLC's Ethnic Minorities Unit (EMU), ably led by Ansel Wong. We launched the GLC Historical Lectures and Concerts, which took place in February through May 1986 to affirm Africa's contribution to civilization. For a week, we filled the Royal Albert Hall with schoolkids to listen to inspirational music and talks. Speakers toured the communities and generated a buzz.... Rev. Jesse Jackson,
Angela Davis Angela Yvonne Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, philosopher, academic, scholar, and author. She is a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A feminist and a Marxist, Davis was a longtime member of ...
,
Winnie Mandela Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She se ...
,
Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...
Jr.,
Sally Mugabe Sarah Francesca "Sally" Mugabe (née Hayfron; 6 June 1931 – 27 January 1992) was the first wife of Robert Mugabe (former President of Zimbabwe) and the First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1987 until her death in 1992. She was popularly known as ''Am ...
, Graca Machel,
John Henrik Clarke John Henrik Clarke (born John Henry Clark; January 1, 1915 - July 16, 1998) was an African-American historian, professor, and pioneer in the creation of Pan-African and Africana studies and professional institutions in academia starting in the ...
,
Yosef Ben-Jochannan Yosef Alfredo Antonio Ben-Jochannan (; December 31, 1918 – March 19, 2015), referred to by his admirers as "Dr. Ben", was an American writer and historian. He was considered to be one of the more prominent Afrocentric scholars by some Black ...
,
Burning Spear Winston Rodney OD (born 1 March 1945), better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, vocalist and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian and one of the most influential and long-standing roots ...
,
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
,
Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...
,
Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...
and many more came to London between 1985 and 1988 at the invitation of the GLC to support the anti-racist and anti-apartheid campaigns."

The lectures would be compiled into the book ''Our Story: A Handbook of African History and Contemporary Issues'' (London Strategic Policy Unit, 1988), which Addai-Sebo edited with Ansel Wong. "Our original goal was to first create an enabling cultural space in the UK celebratory calendar and after public acceptance and recognition extend the observance of October as a month to a Black History Season. To make Black History Season a celebration of the magnificence of cultural diversity and the enriching value in peaceful co-existence. To the African mind, to achieve harmony – both the black and white keys of the organ in tune." On 1 October 1987, the GLC hosted Dr

Maulana Karenga Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett, July 14, 1941), previously known as Ron Karenga, is an American activist, author, and professor of Africana studies, best known as the creator of the pan-African and African-American holi ...

from the US to mark the contributions of Black people throughout history, and Addai-Sebo then drew up a plan to recognise the contributions of African, Asian and Caribbean people to the economic, cultural and political life in the UK, with other boroughs beginning to formally institute October as Black History Month in the UK. Addai-Sebo has noted: "Although I initiated the idea, making Black History Month was a collective effort, and it could not have been achieved without the London Strategic Policy Unit, an organisation established after the Thatcher government abolished the GLC in 1986. There were many people involved, and it is difficult to mention everyone, but I can mention Ansel Wong,

Linda Bellos Linda Ann Bellos (born 13 December 1950) is a British businesswoman, radical feminist and gay-rights activist. In 1981 she became the first black woman to join the ''Spare Rib'' collective. She was elected to Lambeth Borough Council in London ...

, Ken Livingstone,

Paul Boateng Paul Yaw Boateng, Baron Boateng (born 14 June 1951) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent South from 1987 to 2005, becoming the UK's first Black Cabinet Minister in May 2002, when he was appoi ...

Margaret Hodge Dame Margaret Eve Hodge, Lady Hodge, (née Oppenheimer, formerly Watson; born 8 September 1944) is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Barking since 1994. A member of the Labour Party, she previously served as ...

, Anne Matthews, Narendra Makenji, Peter Brayshaw, Drew Stevenson, Bernard Wiltshire, Herman Ouseley, Ken Martindale, Vitus Evans, Chris Boothman, Lord Gifford,

Bernie Grant Bernard Alexander Montgomery Grant (17 February 1944 – 8 April 2000) was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, London, from 1987 to his death in 2000. Biography Bernie Grant was born in Georgetown ...

, Shirley Andrews and Edward Oteng among the many. We managed to make this an all party affair. Addai-Sebo is based in Ghana. Also a journalist, he has written for outlets including ''

Pambazuka News ''Pambazuka News'' is an open access, Pan-African e-mail and online electronic newsletter. It is published weekly in English, Portuguese and French by the not-for-profit organisation Fahamu. The word ''Pambazuka'' means "dawn" or "arise" in Kiswa ...

'' and the ''

Graphic Online The ''Daily Graphic'' is a Ghanaian state-owned daily newspaper published in Accra, Ghana. History The paper was established along with the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1950, by Cecil King of the London Daily Mirror Group.Eribo, F., & W. Jong-Ebot, ...

''.

Awards and recognition

In 2018, Addai-Sebo was named by ''African Voice'' newspaper on a list of "61 Influential Ghanaians in the Diaspora". In December 2022, the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...

(SOAS) conferred Addai-Sebo with an Honorary Doctorate of Literature.

References

External links

* Every Generation
"The Origins of Black History – An Interview with Akyaaba Addai-Sebo"
''Black History Month'', 20 February 2017.
"NUBIART ARCHIVE: Akyaaba Addai-Sebo - The Origins of BHM in Britain (2004)"

"BHM UK Conceiver Addai Sebo Message To AHMUK Launch 13 05 17"
Via YouTube, 22 May 2017.
"Opal22's Flash Black - Akyaaba Addai Sebo, Founder of Black History Season in the UK"
23 November 2020.
"35 Years of BHM: In Conversation With Akyaaba Addai-Sebo , SOAS EDI Thought Leadership Series"
SOAS University of London, 28 October 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Addai-Sebo, Akyaaba 1950 births Black British activists Ghanaian activists Ghanaian expatriates in England Ghanaian journalists Ghanaian pan-Africanists Living people