Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Mustapha H. Kurfi, and Fallou Ngom Grassroots Ajami literacy has been historically high in the communities of West Africa. While often viewed through the lens of its religious historical origins, it is increasingly evident that the use of Ajami scripts in a variety of African languages extends far beyond religious and educational contexts. […]
It is with great sadness that we write to inform you of the passing of our revered friend and colleague Walter Sangree, peacefully and surrounded by family, at home in Wellesley on Saturday, August 31st, at age 93, after a prolonged illness with cancer. Walter was Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Rochester and a […]
The Boston University African Studies Center has started work on an important scholarly project that provides a new window into the history, cultures, and intellectual traditions of West Africa. The project ʿAjamī Literature and the Expansion of Literacy and Islam: The Case of West Africa that was awarded a NEH Collaborative Research Grant, will digitize […]
The BU African Studies Working Paper 271, “The Boston University Diaspora Studies Initiative” (42 pp.) by Daivi Rodima-Taylor presents an overview of the contributions of the BU ASC Diaspora Studies Initiative to the academic as well as policy-oriented study of African diaspora matters, and suggests a vision for the future. To order copies of the […]
The BU African Studies Working Paper 271, “The Boston University Diaspora Studies Initiative” by Daivi Rodima-Taylor presents an overview of the contributions of the BU ASC Diaspora Studies Initiative to the academic as well as policy-oriented study of African diaspora matters, and suggests a vision for the future. To order copies of the Working Paper, […]
In late January, the ASC Diaspora Studies Initiative hosted a breakfast in conjunction with the African Diaspora Engaging Africa (ADEA) Initiative. The breakfast aimed to facilitate networking amongst practitioners and spark discussion about best practices. The event was well attended and included representatives from groups involved with STEM education, community engagement, health, vulnerable children, and literacy. For more information about the event, or information […]
The Boston University African Studies Center (ASC) and its Diaspora Studies Initiative hosted a breakfast meeting and workshop of the African Diaspora Engaging Africa (ADEA) Initiative on Saturday, January 19, 2019. The ADEA Initiative seeks to facilitate supportive platforms for the African Diaspora to engage in Africa’s development. This initiative creates a diverse and productive […]
Dr. Noel Twagiramungu, recently published his first paper as a Visiting Researcher with the ASC. From Nationalist Rebellion to Pan-African Liberation: A Theory of the Apartheid Endgame in South Africa, was published in International Relations and Diplomacy in December 2018. Currently, Dr. Twagiramungu is a Visiting Assistant Professor of International Relations and African Politics at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to the new Director of the West African Research Association (WARA), Ms. Jenny Parker. Ms. Parker joins us from the Indiana University, where she is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Anthropology with a minor in African Studies. With her academic background and prior grant writing and marketing […]
After eight years of hard work, Dr. Tim Longman, Dr. Barbara Brown, and Adam Strom of Facing History have published Confronting Apartheid. The new e-textbook discusses apartheid, the anti-apartheid movement, and its legacies. The Title VI funded resource will serve as a valuable text for secondary school teachers to use in the classroom. For more information, visit […]