Beyond Borders

About the Book

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.

About the Author

Kofi Quaye: From Ghana’s youngest published author to journalist and editor of Black American newspapers in the United States, to co-author of books with Americans, and filmmaker of Africathemed movies and documentaries. In a remarkable career spanning continents, Kofi Quaye’s life journey reflects a deep-seated passion for writing and storytelling that led him to pursue a professional career in journalism, publishing, and ultimately, filmmaking as a producer of movies and documentaries. Kofi Quaye grew up in Ghana in the fifties and sixties and knew early on that he wanted to be a writer. He was already writing his first book as he navigated the educational system in post-independence Ghana, which enabled him to earn both the Ordinary and Advanced Levels of the General Certificate of Education in just three years. His first book was published when he was nineteen years old, making him the youngest published author in Ghana at the time. He joined the Ghana Civil Service as an Executive Officer, based on his educational credentials, and was assigned to the Registrar General’s Department. His writing career began in Ghana, where he honed his craft. In Ghana’s media landscape, his early days as a freelance journalist laid the foundation for his later successes.