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10th October 1957: Eisenhower apologises to Ghanaian minister for racism in Delaware restaurant

3,125 views · Published 9 October 2018 · 2:38 · Indexed 24 October 2026

Channel: HistoryPod · 2018 · Education

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Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan black African nation to gain independence from colonial rule on 6 March 1957. Komla Agbeli Gbedemah had held the position of Minister of Finance in Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government since 1954, and he soon began seeking outside funding for the ambitious Akosombo Dam that was intended to supercharge the country’s economy.

In October 1957 Gbedemah visited the United States in an attempt to secure money for the project. Aluminium companies were interested in using power from the hydroelectric dam to process bauxite, but they needed reassurances about the cost of electricity. This was dependent on how much foreign investment could be secured to fund the dam’s construction.

Having stopped at a Howard Johnson restaurant in the Delaware city of Dover, Gbedemah and his secretary ordered a glass of orange juice. After serving their drinks in takeaway containers, the waitress told them that ‘coloured people are not allowed to eat in here.’

Despite being shown proof that Gbedemah was the finance minister of Ghana, the manager refused to compromise. Gbedemah reportedly left the restaurant saying that ‘the [white] people here are of a lower social status than I am but they can drink here and we can’t. You can keep the orange juice and the change, but this is not the last you have heard of this.’

When news of the incident reached the President, Eisenhower apologised to Gbedemah and invited him to breakfast at the White House where he warmed to the idea of the Akosombo Dam project.

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