Ghanaian Traditional Ruler Breaks Decades-Long Racial Barrier
Nana Timothy Aye Kusi from Ghana enrolled at Centre College in Kentucky in 1961, registering his name in the school’s history books. Kusi became the first Black person to ever attend the private liberal arts college founded in 1819.
Centre College had technically adopted a non-discriminatory admissions policy in 1958 stating no candidates would “be arbitrarily excluded on grounds of race or creed.” However, it took three more years before Kusi integrated the segregated campus as just the third Black student at any college in Kentucky.
College Revisits Pioneering Student’s Legacy
In 2019, Centre College honored the trailblazing Kusi during events celebrating the school’s bicentennial—200 years after its founding. Speakers reflected on the Ghanaian’s profound legacy in diversifying the previously all-white institution.
After graduating in 1965, Kusi returned home to serve as a Traditional Chief in the Asante region’s paramountcy. But his courageous stand at Centre will always be remembered as paving the way for greater inclusion.
State Law Required Segregation for 50 Years
For nearly 50 years before Kusi’s admission, Centre College was bound by Kentucky’s “Day Law” prohibiting integrated education. When the Supreme Court allowed states to segregate private colleges in 1908, progress stalled until a partial amendment in 1950.
Centre’s president pushed for integration earlier, but met resistance from trustees and alumni. When the school finally dropped racial barriers to admissions in 1958, most Black high schoolers still felt unwelcome.
By boldly enrolling despite the challenges, Nana Timothy Aye Kusi advanced civil rights in education. And he remains an inspiration today at the school and nationwide.
