The African American Studies 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place February 20-21. There will be many community members and visiting guests attending, and we may have an influx of navigational questions on those days.
On Thursday, the Ronald C. Foreman Symposium will be held in Smathers Library, room 100 all day, beginning at 8:00am. On Friday, an Anniversary Celebration continues in multiple nearby locations:
Turlington Hall – touring of the new AASP offices
Turlington Plaza – unveiling of the AASP historical marker
On both days, free parking is available to registered participants on the north lawn in front of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Shuttle transportation is available between the designated parking area to Smathers Library (Thursday) and Turlington (Friday). The Bubble Buddy van will also be running to assist visitors and guests with accessibility needs.
The point of contact for the African American Studies Program is Yesenia Jarrett: Yesenia.jarrett@ufl.edu.
February 19 | 11:45am | 471 GRI "Nouns & Person-Gender-Number Markers in Khoekhoe"
Christopher Muntzner, University of Florida
Natural Resource Management | Africa
February 20 | 12:45pm | 471 GRI "Protecting the Endangered Oribi on Private Farm Lands in South Africa"
Elizabeth Pienaar, University of Florida
Upcoming Events...
Baraza
February 28 | 3:30pm | 404 GRI "The Ernest Cole Award and the Legacy of Struggle Photography in 21st Century South Africa."
Meghan Kirkwood, Assistant Professor of Art, Washington University—St. Louis
Islam | Africa
March 10 | 11:45am | 471 GRI "African Muslim Women’s Renewed Critical Humanism"
Ousseina Alidou, Professor of African Languages and Literatures, Rutgers University
Baraza
March 13 | 3:30pm | 404GRI "Russia in Africa Today: Between Continuities and Ruptures"
Tatiana Smirnova, University of Florida
State | Africa
March 16 | 3:00pm | 471 GRI "Stakeholder Workshops: What Difference Do They Make?"
Renata Serra, University of Florida
Baraza
March 20 | 3:30pm | 404 GRI "Racial Valuation of Diseases"
Matiangai Sirleaf, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh
Baraza
March 27 | 3:30pm | 404 GRI "The Future during the Cold War: Investigations by Contemporary African Artists"
Álvaro Luís Lima, University of Florida
Center for African Studies Community News
Accomplishments and Awards
Please send information about awards or other accomplishments by UF Center for African Studies community members to ufcasbulletin@gmail.com for their inclusion in the news bulletin.
Publications
Olivier Walther's OECD report "The Geography of Conflict in North and West Africa" is now available online. The report will be launched at the Munich Security Conference this morning by the Secretary-General of the OECD and presented by his colleague Steven Radil. You can also download the report here: https://we.tl/t-0RFS3HMnX6
Please send citations for your recently published articles, book chapters, book reviews, or op-ed pieces to ufcasbulletin@gmail.comfor their inclusion in the news bulletin.
Last Week's Recap
State | Africa with Dr. Ruth Carlitz
On Monday, Dr. Ruth Carlitz (Tulane University) presented, “When do services reach the poor? Street-level discretion and pro-poor targeting” at the Institutions and the State in Africa Working Group. In the past twenty years, there has been increased attention in the international community on public services... Read more here.
SASA with Akintunde Akinleye
On Wednesday, Akintunde Akinleye (Carleton University) presented “Beyond the Frame: Photojournalism in the Context of Africa” for the Students in African Studies Association (SASA). Akintunde Akinleye has worked as a photojournalist since 2003 for Nigerian news outlets as well as Reuters. In 2007, his spot news single shot won the World Press Photo contest... Read more here.
Baraza with Dr. Marloes Janson
On Friday February 14, the Center for African Studies and the Center for Global Islamic Studies hosted a Baraza with Marloes Janson (University of London). Dr. Janson is a reader in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Her publications include... Read more here.
For Students
Center for African Studies
Summer Pre-dissertation Research Awards
The Center for African Studies is pleased to announce that it will again offer a limited number of pre-dissertation research awards to UF graduate students for summer 2020. Grants of up to $1,000 per individual from the Jeanne & Hunt Davis fund, the Madelyn M. Lockhart fund, and the newly-endowed CAS Alumni & Faculty fund will be made to support summer pre-dissertation research in Africa. CAS may also award additional supplemental research stipends if budget permits.
Travel awards are made to allow doctoral students to refine proposals and prepare the groundwork for seeking outside funding to support subsequent dissertation fieldwork. CAS awards are intended to complement funding from other UF or external sources.
Eligible applicants must be doctoral students (MA/MSc awarded prior to summer 2020) in any discipline of African Studies at UF who are at the pre-dissertation stage of their program. Previous grantees are ineligible.
To apply, please submit:
a 500-750 word proposal discussing the research project (including theoretical framework and methodology), outlining proposed summer schedule, and illustrating benefits of pre-dissertation research travel for the applicant. Last page of proposal must include doctoral supervisor’s name, signature & date. Applications without signature will not be considered.
UF transcript
budget (accompanied by statement of other funding received or requested)
email contact information for notification of award status
Hardcopy applications only please
Application deadline: all materials must be received by 5pm on 28 February 2020.
Graduate Pre-dissertation Research Awards
Center for African Studies
427 Grinter Hall
P.O. Box 115560
For Faculty and Educators
Nigeria National Universities Commission
Call for Interested Faculty
The Nigeria National Universities Commission (NUC) is excited to launch the “NUC Diaspora Program” in the area of Biomedical Sciences. The NUC Diaspora Program focuses on fostering collaborations between Nigeria Academics and Nigerians/Non-Nigerians in the Diaspora who are interested in elevating biomedical research in the Nigerian University System (NUS) through collaborative research, training, exchange programs, short courses, sabbaticals, adopt-a-lab program etc. The program is a service to the NUS and does not come with any financial commitment from the NUC to any person who wishes to collaborate with the NUS through this program. This program will be similar to the Fulbright/African Diaspora experience but broader and more synergistic. It is primarily for faculty (not students).
As part of its launch, the NUC Diaspora program seeks to compile a list of biomedical scientists in the Diaspora interested in being part of the program. If you are a Biomedical Scientist outside Nigeria (whether Nigerian or Non-Nigerian) and you would like to participate in the NUC Diaspora Program, please register your interest by completing the program “Diaspora Scholars” survey. To complete the Diaspora Scholars Survey, please click here or copy and paste the following link on your browser: https://bit.ly/2SuXTWp . Once the list is compiled, faculty will be matched with different institutions for collaborative research, education and training opportunities. All academics in Nigeria will be part of the program.
We look forward to working with you.
Prof. Folakemi Odedina, University of Florida, USA Dr. Chinelo Nwosu, National Universities Commission, Nigeria
On Campus
African Music Workshop
Dr. Meki Nzewi, Professor Emeritus, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Wednesday, February 19 | 1:55-3:50 pm | Music Building 146
Professor Meki Nzewi will present a workshop culminating in the performance of a collective musical composition, in collaboration with student members of Dr. Sarah Politz’s course MUH 6935: African Popular Music and Globalization. The workshop is open to members of the UF and Gainesville community.
Dr. Nzewi is Professor Emeritus at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Originally from Nigeria, Professor Nzewi is a musicologist, composer, and theorist of African music. His books include such works as African Music: Theoretical Content and Creative Continuum, and his interactive studies of the creative theory and performance practice underlying African traditional musical arts have circulated widely through his publications and teaching over the past four decades.
Professor Nzewi’s creative works are extensive and diverse, from works of musical theatre, opera, and dance-theatre, to compositions for orchestra, choir, voice, and drums. In 2001, the English Chamber Orchestra gave the world premiere of his newest orchestral work during a tour of South Africa. Prof. Nzewi has also published literary works, including three plays, a novel and poems, and has written and produced works for TV and radio.
As master drummer, he has performed and given workshops throughout Europe and Africa. He is the founder and co-director of the Ama Dialog Foundation for African traditional arts in Nigeria. His creative philosophy and practice aim at continuing the traditional multi-disciplinary approach to creativity, performance and presentation.
OGBÓGBÓDIRIN!
Metal Figures, Emblems and Ritual Implements of the Yòrùbá Ògbóni/Òsùgbó Society
Babatunde Lawal, Professor, Department of Art History, Virginia Commonwealth University
Thursday, March 26, 6 p.m., Reception to follow
Chandler Auditorium, Harn Museum of Art
Meaning, “Age-and-Still-be-Strong-like-Iron,” the epithet “Ogbógbódirin,” refers to Oòni Obàlùfòn, an ancient monarch of the Yòrùbá kingdom of Ifè who reportedly lived for more than a century. He was later deified and associated with longevity. He is also credited with introducing the lost-wax casting technique to his kingdom. In short, the technique launched the production of a variety of images by Yòrùbá artists, including those now identified with Ògbóni, the society (aka Òsùgbó) that wielded enormous political, judicial, and religious powers among the Yoruba in the past and still does, to some extent, today. Much of the society’s authority derives from its role as the vital link between a given community and the Earth Goddess (Ilè) who sustains life in the physical world. Membership of the Ògbóni/Òsùgbó society is highly prestigious and hence restricted to a selected few, particularly those who have attained distinction in their professions and have proven to be people of high integrity and mature judgment.
The lecture focuses on the ontological significance of art among the Yòrùbá of present-day republics of Nigeria, Benin and Togo in West Africa, paying special attention to form, meaning as well as material metaphor in the metal figures, emblems and ritual implements of the Ògbóni/Òsùgbó society. This lecture is presented in connection with the exhibition Peace, Power & Prestige: Metal Arts in Africa.
Curated by Riley Ravary
Programs and Communications Officer
Center for African Studies, University of Florida
