Ebonee Davis Recieves Graduate Diaspora Grant

by 06/01/2015

Ebonee Davis is a recent recipient of the West African Research Association’s Graduate Diaspora grant which will allow her to spend three months working in Ghana, West Africa this summer at W.E.B. DuBois’ home, the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Center for Pan-African Culture. 

On a trip to Ghana in 2011, Davis had the opportunity to visit the DuBois Memorial Center and observe Dubois’ personal book collection. W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the leading African American intellectuals of his time, moved to Ghana, at the invitation of President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, to research and develop an encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Encyclopedia Africana. His book collection (now known as the Dubois Archive) offers a glimpse into his early research for that publication and is an invaluable treasure to the world. However, on her visit, Davis noticed how the books had deteriorated and found that they were in danger of being lost. This summer Davis will work to preserve the archive by documenting and cataloging the books and papers within DuBois’ collection.  She will also work with the DuBois Center’s staff to develop a SOP to guide all future management of the archive. 

Davis is currently completing her MA in Museum Studies and Historical Preservation at Morgan State University. For her thesis she is developing an interpretive manual that will guide museum professionals in teaching slavery to K-3 audiences. She holds a BA in History from Howard University and currently works for the National Park Service- she has worked in the field of museums and public sites for the last seven years. In 2013 she founded her public history consulting firm, The Sankofa Group, where she focuses on interpreting the histories of people of color through archival work, lesson plan development, and public presentations.

Ebonee Davis has ties to the Wilmington community as she is the daughter of Wanda and Eugene B. Davis Jr., niece of Attorney Peter and Kathy Grear, and granddaughter of longstanding Wilmington residents Rosa and Eugene B. Davis Sr. •

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