Akyaaba Addai-Sebo

Akyaaba Addai-Sebo (born October 1950) is a Ghanaian analyst, journalist and pan-African activist credited with developing the recognition of October as Black History Month in 1987 in the UK. With 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 influencers include C. L. R. James, Chancellor Williams, John Henrik Clarke, and Jewell Mazique.

Background Born and raised in Ghana, Addai-Sebo was part of Kwame Nkrumah's Young Pioneers Movement. His education took him to the United States in the 1970s, where he was active when "Negro History Week" became "Black History Month", and witnessed how its national annual observance renewed a sense of pride in African-American children. 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.

In January 1984, he moved to England, seeking refuge from political persecution during the regime of former military leader Jerry John Rawlings. 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. Within a year of his arrival, he was 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. 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.

On 1 October 1987, the GLC hosted Dr Maulana Karenga 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. However, I can mention Ansel Wong, Linda Bellos, Ken Livingstone, Paul Boateng, Margaret Hodge, Anne Matthews, Narendra Makenji, Peter Brayshaw, Drew Stevenson, Bernard Wiltshire, Herman Ouseley, Ken Martindale, Vitus Evans, Chris Boothman, Lord Gifford, Bernie Grant, Shirley Andrews and Edward Oteng among the many. We managed to make this an all party affair.

Addai-Sebo is based in Ghana. he has written for outlets including Pambazuka News and the Graphic Online.

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's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) conferred Addai-Sebo with an Honorary Doctorate of Literature.