James Kwegyir Aggrey: Senegal Honours Late Ghanaian Academician
- James Kwegyir Aggrey has received a major honour from the Senegalese government for his historic contributions
- The late Ghanaian academician and pan-Africanist and Alain LeRoy Locke have been featured on an airmail stamp
- James Kwegyir Aggrey's latest posthumous honour from Senegal comes more than a century after his demise abroad
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The Senegalese government has posthumously honoured Reverend Dr James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, the late Ghanaian academician, pan-Africanist and priest.
Source: Facebook
According to reports from several Ghanaian media outlets, the academician has been featured on a commemorative airmail stamp recently issued by the Senegalese government.
The first-ever African-American Rhodes scholar, writer, educationist and philosopher Alain LeRoy Locke also received the same honour as the Ghanaian academician.
Reports indicated that the airmail stamp called 'précurseurs de la Négritude', a French phrase translated as 'precursors' or 'forerunners of Negritude', is present on the first-day issue envelope from Senegal.
Despite not being an official member of the Negritude movement, which celebrates Black identity and heritage, Kwegyir Aggrey was honoured for his significant contributions as an intellectual and pioneer of African culture.
The Ghanaian academician and Locke are credited for their ideas which formed part of the foundations that shaped the Negritude movement, championed by several pioneers worldwide for decades.
The Facebook photo showing Senegal's airmail stamp featuring James Kwegyir Aggrey is below:
Who was Ghanaian academician James Kwegyir Aggrey?
James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey was a prominent Ghanaian missionary, academician, Pan-Africanist, and public intellectual.
Born on October 18, 1875, in Anomabo in the Central Region of Ghana (then Gold Coast), he was a leading figure in African and African American history.
Aggrey's early academic journey began at the prestigious educational institution Mfantsipim School (formerly Wesleyan High School) in Cape Coast, where he showed his intellectual prowess at a young age.
He later attended Livingstone College in North Carolina, USA, graduating with three academic degrees in 1902.
In two decades at Livingstone College in the US, Aggrey earned doctorates in theology (1912) and osteopathy (1914).
He also served on the faculty and administration at the educational institution abroad.
Source: Getty Images
As part of the Phelps-Stokes Commission to Africa, Aggrey visited 10 countries, emphasising education's importance to African leaders.
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The academician also played a significant role in the establishment of Achimota College in Ghana and served as its vice principal from 1925 to 1927.
Aggrey's notable quotes include "Black keys of the piano give good sounds and the white keys give good sounds, but the combination of the two gives the best melody" and "When you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation."
He died on July 30, 1927, in the US and has been honoured with various landmarks and institutions, including Aggrey Memorial High School in Cape Coast and Kwegyir Aggrey Senior High in Anomabo.
Aggrey is also prominently featured on the blue five Ghana-cedi note.
US-based Nigerian doctor honoured with eight awards
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a US-based Nigerian doctor was honoured with eight awards during his medical residency graduation.
Dr Timilehin Oluseye reportedly made history as the first Black individual to have won the prestigious accolades.
Source: YEN.com.gh
