St. Louis Natives Honored In Ghana: Celebrating duBois, Diaspora Legacy and Global Black Leadership
St. Louis, Missouri — In a moment rich with historical significance and global reverence, two St. Louis natives. The Honorable Nicole Colbert-Botchway and Tracey Clark Jeffries, DBA have been named among the inaugural recipients of the W.E.B. Du Bois Leadership & Social Justice Award, presented by the Diaspora African Forum (DAF) and the Office of the President, Republic of Ghana.
This honor carries profound weight, rooted in the extraordinary life of W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the most influential Black scholars and civil rights leaders in world history. Exiled from the United States in 1951 under the McCarran Act due to government fears over his anti-colonial activism and socialist leanings, Du Bois already the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard relocated to Ghana after his passport was revoked.
At age 93, he accepted President Kwame Nkrumah’s invitation to lead the Encyclopedia Africana, spending his final years fighting for global civil rights, Pan-African unity, and liberation from colonial rule. Ghana became his home, his sanctuary, and the place where he was laid to rest today honored at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre and celebrated by DAF, the official Embassy for the African Diaspora.
Honoring Two Leaders Making History
The Diaspora African Forum, in partnership with Ghana’s Presidency, launched this award to recognize global figures whose work advances justice, equity, and Pan-African progress.
Hon. Nicole Colbert-Botchway – Judicial & Civic Leadership Award
Judge Colbert-Botchway is recognized for her outstanding judicial service, global mentorship of youth, and her efforts to expand pathways into the legal profession for students across the Diaspora. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to fairness, access, and civic empowerment.
Tracey Clark Jeffries, DBA – Social Impact & Entrepreneurship Award
Dr. Clark Jeffries is honored for her transformational work in economic development, research, entrepreneurship, and minority business empowerment. Her initiatives strengthen small-business ecosystems, expand opportunities for underserved populations, and deepen global economic mobility—demonstrating the powerful intersection of social justice and enterprise.
Both women embody the excellence, resilience, and international impact of St. Louis leadership.
DAF also recognized a third community leader: Kiahna W. Davis, of Indianapolis, Indiana, Founder & CEO of MYB Accounting with the Global Leadership Award for her international work.
About the Diaspora African Forum (DAF)
DAF is a Pan-African institution dedicated to reconnecting Africa and its global Diaspora through diplomacy, cultural engagement, leadership recognition, and economic partnership. Rooted in Ghana’s legacy as a home for Pan-Africanism, DAF continues Du Bois’s mission of unity, empowerment, and global Black advancement.
About the Office of the President, Republic of Ghana
The Office of the President serves as Ghana’s central executive authority, guiding national governance, policy direction, diplomacy, and development initiatives. In partnership with DAF, the Presidency upholds Ghana’s commitment to honoring Diaspora leaders whose work advances justice, innovation, and Pan-African progress.
A Historic Recognition of Global Notoriety
“Receiving an award bearing the name of W.E.B. Du Bois a giant of Pan-African scholarship and civil rights leadership is a globally significant honor reserved for individuals whose work elevates people of African descent worldwide. Judge Colbert-Botchway and Dr. Clark Jeffries are paving the way for a distinguished international cohort of leaders shaping a more just, equitable, and empowered future for communities across the African Diaspora.”
— Dr. Erieka Bennett, H.E. Ambassador, Diaspora African Forum
Contact:
Tracey Clark Jeffries
Phone: (314) 718-4074
Email: Jeffries.tracey@gmail.com
