Jean Allman: Remembering Alice
Dr. Jean Allman is a historian with specialization in African and African American studies. She and Lois Conley, president of the Griot Museum of Black History, co-curated an exhibition for the Griot titled "Through the Lens of Alice Windom" which showcased photos taken by Alice during her time in Ghana. The exhibit was later mounted again in Accra, Ghana. Although Dr. Allman never met Alice, she is familiar with her papers and has a wealth of knowledge about the historical context of Nkrumah's Ghana. In our interview, we primarily discuss Alice's time in Ghana, the relationships she had with other influential people there, and the larger trend of women being erased from the historical record.
Kwame Nkrumah led Ghana to independence from Britain and served as the country's first president. His message of freedom resonated across the African disaspora and attracted many influential people to Accra, Ghana in the 1960's. His use of non-violence also attracted peace activists from around the world. At the time, the people there thought they were in the birthplace of a new world. A very young Alice Windom arrived in Accra in 1963. During her time there, she formed relationships with other notable expatriates including Maya Angelou, Julien Mayfield, Efua Sutherland, and Malcolm X.
She was not only directly involved in the work being done in Ghana, but Alice was also documenting everything through her camera and writings. Dr. Allman explains that Alice and the other people in Ghana saw themselves "on the cutting edge of history."
"I think she had a very clear sense of herself as a historic actor, someone who was making history and therefore was going to document both her history and the wider history unfolding around her."
When Malcolm X visited Ghana in 1964, she documented a play by play account of it. The words she wrote on this event were later printed almost verbatim in Malcolm X's autobiography as dictated to Alex Haley with no mention of Alice whatsoever. In our interview, Dr. Allman and I disucss this unfortunate trend of women being "disappeared" from history, and not recieving the credit they are due.
The dream of Nkrumah's Ghana ended up being short-lived, and most people had already left by the time he was overthrown. The community of incredibly influential civil rights activists and thinkers dispersed all over, and that could have been the end of their relationship if it weren't for Alice. Through letters and hosting reunions, "Alice Windom single-handedly kept those people in contact with each other for decades." Her influence as an activist, organizer, historian and more cannot be overstated. Alice Windom led a remarkable life and accomplished so much. The time she spent in Ghana as well as the incredible things she did there are just one part of her story.
