Beyond Borders

A Life in Black and White: Memoirs of a Journalist, Publisher, and Witness to History From the heart of post-independence Ghana to the battleground of post-civil rights America, Kofi Quaye’s life has been a journey through journalism, creative arts, and history. As Ghana’s youngest published author, his books published by MacMillan were included in high school curricula. As the youngest editor and public relations officer of a government department, he worked alongside some of the nation’s most influential media figures, including Ellis Komey, editor of London based Flamingo Magazine, and Jimmy Moxon, the British ex-colonial administrator who became a pivotal figure in Ghana’s post-independence media landscape.

After immigrating to America, Quaye made history as the first African to own, edit, and publish a Black American newspaper in upstate New York—the Syracuse Gazette. Quaye’s memoir is a rare and powerful fusion of personal narrative, investigative journalism, and historical analysis. His tenure as editor of the Syracuse Gazette brought him to national attention when the newspaper’s photographer was involved in one of America’s first major cases of police brutality. He worked as assistant editor of the AFRO AMERICAN Weekly in New York City, launching groundbreaking coverage of Africa, and his article “African Stereotype” in Essence Magazine challenged global misconceptions about the African continent.

A pioneer in publishing, Quaye launched multiple ventures to uplift Black voices. He set up a publishing company and provided editing, proofreading, and publishing services to Black American authors, including the prominent scholar and activist, Dr. Amos Wilson for his book titled The Developmental Psychology of the Black Child. He co-authored Free from Death Road with ex-gangster General Davis, the first book co-written by an African author and a former American gangster, and collaborated with authors from diverse backgrounds, including a pastor and a Trinidadian immigrant. His work established him as a force in both African and Black American media and publishing. This is more than a memoir—it’s a front-row seat to history, a masterclass in journalism, and an unfiltered look at the struggle for Black representation in the media.