- History Department
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain
Ct06050
- Scholar-activist, researcher, historian and amateur film-maker. Major interests include African Indigenous Knowledge... moreScholar-activist, researcher, historian and amateur film-maker. Major interests include African Indigenous Knowledge Systems, African History, Philosophy of Science and Historiography.edit
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The theme of the winter issue of Africa Update is Ancient and Contemporary Sudan. The theme is an extension of that of the fall issue of 2021. Nevertheless, this time, the issue consists of three exceptional research papers that will take... more
The theme of the winter issue of Africa Update is Ancient and Contemporary Sudan. The theme is an extension of that of the fall issue of 2021. Nevertheless, this time, the issue consists of three exceptional research papers that will take you on a journey through various periods.
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The theme of the fall issue of Africa Update is Ancient and Contemporary Sudan. The Chief Editor of Africa Update, Professor Gloria Emeagwali, decided to extend the theme to the winter issue as well. This issue begins with the Sudanese... more
The theme of the fall issue of Africa Update is Ancient and Contemporary Sudan. The Chief Editor of Africa Update, Professor Gloria Emeagwali, decided to extend the theme to the winter issue as well. This issue begins with the Sudanese heritage expert Dr. Shadia Taha, who shares with you her insight on contemporary Nubia and the recent displacement of its Indigenous community due to the construction of a series of dams along the Nile River. Dr. Shadia Taha obtained a B.A. (Hons) in Archaeology from the University of Khartoum (Sudan), and her M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge. Taha's doctoral dissertation investigates attachments to abandoned heritage, using ethnographic research methods. Her Ph.
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Kwame Opoku: Berlin decision on Benin restitution. Kwame Opoku: Church od England wishes to return two Benin artefacts to Nigeria. Is that enough? Kwame Opoku: Is the British Museum outmaneuvering Nigeria? Kwame Opoku: Talking about Benin... more
Kwame Opoku: Berlin decision on Benin restitution. Kwame Opoku: Church od England wishes to return two Benin artefacts to Nigeria. Is that enough? Kwame Opoku: Is the British Museum outmaneuvering Nigeria? Kwame Opoku: Talking about Benin Artifacts is not Enough. Kwame Opoku: Benin. Kwame Opoku: From Restitution to Digitalization: Looted Benin treasures to go online. Editorial This issue of Africa Update is a tribute to the indefatigable Ghanaian scholar-activist, Dr. Kwame Opoku, who has spent decades enlightening the public, and the academic community, about the innumerable African Antiquities confiscated by the colonial powers, after their invasions of Africa in the 19th and 20th century. Dr. Opoku has written more than two hundred and seventy articles on the subject, to date.
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Democracy in Botswana (conclusion) Editorial: Focus on Cameroon Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Nigeria's most famous human rights lawyer, was arrested on 30th January 1996, and since then has been incacerated in Bauchi, Nigeria without access to... more
Democracy in Botswana (conclusion) Editorial: Focus on Cameroon Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Nigeria's most famous human rights lawyer, was arrested on 30th January 1996, and since then has been incacerated in Bauchi, Nigeria without access to medical care or family. He is suffering from acute malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia. Fawehinmi joins the ranks of Beko Ransome-Kuti, Femi Falana, Frank Kokori, Shehu Sani, Chris Anyanwu and other brave and valiant heroes who have dared to speak out against forms of harassment and injustice under the Abacha regime. He is a veteran in the struggle against human rights violations and his distinguished career spans three decades. In this issue of AfricaUpdate, Funso Aiyejina, formerly of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, honors the valiant warrior, Gani Fawehinmi. Generally though, this issue focuses on Cameroon, one of the four countries which share a border with Nigeria.
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The former Director of Women's Studies, Indiana, gave the Keynote Address on aspects of African Civilization, the theme of the conference. It was a great honor to have on the Ancient Africa panel the world famous egyptologist, Dr. Yosef... more
The former Director of Women's Studies, Indiana, gave the Keynote Address on aspects of African Civilization, the theme of the conference. It was a great honor to have on the Ancient Africa panel the world famous egyptologist, Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan, who along with Chrispen Matsika and San Kwadjovie explored aspects of Northeast African development. Matsika argued that there were discernible links between Bantu philosophy and Ancient Egyptian thought and called on scholars to include this issue in their research agenda. Dr. Renee White of the Department of Sociology focused on perceptions of the AIDS crisis in Africa; and Dr. Warren Perry examined some of the findings related to the African Burial Ground project. Both are members of the African Studies Comniittee, CCSU.
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In the previous of Africa Update, Dr. Michael West of the University of North Carolina explored some of the various dimensions of the study of global Africa. He focused on the teaching of Africa in the United States in the course of his... more
In the previous of Africa Update, Dr. Michael West of the University of North Carolina explored some of the various dimensions of the study of global Africa. He focused on the teaching of Africa in the United States in the course of his illuminating discussion. We examine another aspect of the study of global Africa in this issue, namely, Black Studies. This issue of Africa Update consists of three papers presented at the conference on Africa and African-American Studies for the 21st century, at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, May 1998. All credit for the tedious work of soliciting papers, retyping and editing must be given Dr. Gloria Waite of that institution. In her introductory notes she gives insights into the modalities of conference hosting with a small budget and a few enthusiastic faculty. Equally significant is the fact that the arguments made thirty years ago in terms of the founding of Black Studies Programs are no less significant today.
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Dr. Dopamu discusses Santeria and Candomblé, the Cuban and Brazilian manifestations of Yoruba religion. He points out that here the beliefs and organizational structure of the Yoruba religious system remain generally intact, even though... more
Dr. Dopamu discusses Santeria and Candomblé, the Cuban and Brazilian manifestations of Yoruba religion. He points out that here the beliefs and organizational structure of the Yoruba religious system remain generally intact, even though they may incorporate other African roots and a veneer of Catholicism.
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, provides us with an insightful analysis on African Technology in Colonial Brazil. He points out that the contribution of Africans to the Brazilian economy and society has been underestimated. Numerous communities of Quilombos-of those... more
, provides us with an insightful analysis on African Technology in Colonial Brazil. He points out that the contribution of Africans to the Brazilian economy and society has been underestimated. Numerous communities of Quilombos-of those Africans who liberated themselves from Enslavement-assisted in the process of Brazilian economy and industrialization over a two hundred year period, according to Cunha.
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Dr. Mazrui supported the call for an African Renaissance and the redistribution of power on a global scale so as to make Global Africa a major player. Damage has been done and is not a thing of the past, he argued, and this is reflected... more
Dr. Mazrui supported the call for an African Renaissance and the redistribution of power on a global scale so as to make Global Africa a major player. Damage has been done and is not a thing of the past, he argued, and this is reflected in the disproportionate number of Black faces in America's jails; the high rate of infant mortality of Blacks in the U.S.; and the cheapness of Black lives on the streets of Paris, London and Rio de Janeiro.
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S. A. Obansa observes that Nigeria developed a serious debt crisis about two decades after her independence in 1960. This was due to decline in her external reserves as a result of worsening terms of trade against her primary agricultural... more
S. A. Obansa observes that Nigeria developed a serious debt crisis about two decades after her independence in 1960. This was due to decline in her external reserves as a result of worsening terms of trade against her primary agricultural products, her major exports. This has resulted in the widening gap between revenue and expenditure, acute shortage of basic consumer goods and drastic fall in the living standard of the people. In the light of these problems, Nigeria was forced to adjust her way of life if she was to attract World Bank and other International donor agencies. This gave birth to the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986 under the Babangida administration with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors. SAP was meant to pay attention to export generation, especially in the agricultural sector, maintain macroeconomic stability, prevent an overvalued exchange rate, alter and restructure the consumption and production patternof the economy, limit price distortion and heavy dependence on the export of crude oil, and curtail the import of consumer goods. However, SAP failed to address most of these economic problems. The external debts kept swelling up, the fiscal gap widened more than ever, and the objectives of price stability, economic growth, full employment and balance of payment equilibrium became a mere mirage. In his article, S.A Obansa explores these issues and gives a number of suggestions.
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Research Interests: Art and Springer Ebooks
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Research Interests: Geography and Indigenous
In the first part of this chapter, we reflect on some of the fundamental features of non-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial educational systems in selected African countries. We examine the epistemological assumptions of these competing... more
In the first part of this chapter, we reflect on some of the fundamental features of non-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial educational systems in selected African countries. We examine the epistemological assumptions of these competing educational systems, and the value systems and historical contexts of their emergence. We then proceed to make the case for the systematic decolonization of specific aspects of curricula, with examples. We argue that Indigenous Knowledges should constitute the bedrock of postcolonial epistemology in the continent, and we provide specific examples of how and where this should be done.
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... I guess we may have to go back to some of the following authors, to get the big picture about enslavement and slavery, before we focus on Africa, and we have quite a range of scholars to consult such as: David Brion Davis, Moses... more
... I guess we may have to go back to some of the following authors, to get the big picture about enslavement and slavery, before we focus on Africa, and we have quite a range of scholars to consult such as: David Brion Davis, Moses Finley and Westermann for slavery in Greece ...
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In this chapter we reflect on the basic assumptions, diagnostic procedures and preventive and curative medicinal techniques of African Traditional Medicine (ATM). In the course of discussion we assess some of the frequently prescribed... more
In this chapter we reflect on the basic assumptions, diagnostic procedures and preventive and curative medicinal techniques of African Traditional Medicine (ATM). In the course of discussion we assess some of the frequently prescribed herbs, with a focus on recent phytochemical reports.
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In this chapter, we identify some of the issues related to the production, utilization, validation, transmission, and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IK), in general, and Africa’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIK), in... more
In this chapter, we identify some of the issues related to the production, utilization, validation, transmission, and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IK), in general, and Africa’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIK), in particular. We explore the rationale for research in this multidisciplinary field. In the course of discussion we make reference to selected primary sources that are of significance to historians in particular, and scholars of IK in general.
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Research Interests: Sociology and Indigenous
The chapter explores various aspects of African Indigenous Knowledges as they relate to Africa’s legacy. African Indigenous Knowledge Systems constitute a conglomerate of various disciplines and intersecting epistemologies and value... more
The chapter explores various aspects of African Indigenous Knowledges as they relate to Africa’s legacy. African Indigenous Knowledge Systems constitute a conglomerate of various disciplines and intersecting epistemologies and value systems, by societies that have developed paradigms and ways of existence in ancestral lands. The accumulated knowledges have emerged out of trial and error experimentation as well as tested empirical practices and paradigms related to ecological, geographical, economic, social and other traditions of existence. Indigenous Knowledges have substantial implications for the curriculum, development strategies, employment generation, sustained endogenous growth and social movements.
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G ender and development literature in general and empowerment studies in particular have been enriched by several new works from an ever-expanding team of development scholars and gender specialists. Among such texts is that of Rekha... more
G ender and development literature in general and empowerment studies in particular have been enriched by several new works from an ever-expanding team of development scholars and gender specialists. Among such texts is that of Rekha Datta and Judith Kornberg, Women in Developing Countries: Assessing Strategies for Empowerment. Equally illuminating is Anne Marie Goetz’s Women Development Workers: Implementing Rural Credit Programmes in Bangladesh, which provides an indepth analysis of rural credit programs in Bangladesh. The strength of Goetz’s work is the analysis and insights it provides on methodology— in this case the collective principles, values, prejudices, and management strategies that influence and guide development workers in the field. Datta and Kornberg’s introductory chapter sets the stage for in-depth analyses of the conceptual issues associated with processes of empowerment and disempowerment; they view empowerment as a multilevel process that involves individuals, groups, and agencies. The world’s largest nongovernmental organization (NGO) may well be the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). Goetz focuses on the ideology at play in BRAC and allied organizations such as the Rural Development Program of Bangladesh, an NGO struggling to achieve gender equity and rights. Her analysis exposes these organizations as being patriarchal at the level of policy implementation. Unfriendly and insensitive to female empowerment in their organizational culture, these NGOs seem primarily to be concerned with the disbursement and recovery
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Research Interests: Critical Theory, African Studies, Education, Development Studies, Globalization, and 15 moreEducational Development, Political Science, Colonialism, Capitalism, Neoliberalism, Globalization And Higher Education, Austerity, Financialisation, Neocolonialism, Deregulation, Structural Adjustment, Anticolonialism, role of World Bank and IMF in international politics, Postcolonial and Anticolonial Studies, and Creditor
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The continent's innovation often occurs outside the formal sector, but it should still count as science Eurocentric assumptions about the history of science and technology, entrepreneurship, epistemology, and scientific methodology... more
The continent's innovation often occurs outside the formal sector, but it should still count as science Eurocentric assumptions about the history of science and technology, entrepreneurship, epistemology, and scientific methodology are directly challenged in this scholarly collection of essays that masterfully document the historical and contemporary scientific contributions of Africans.
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In this chapter we discuss the genesis of science in Africa with reference, first of all, to the South African Cape region, about one hundred thousand years ago (Jacobs, Duller, Henshilwood & Wintle, 2006). We then reflect on aspects... more
In this chapter we discuss the genesis of science in Africa with reference, first of all, to the South African Cape region, about one hundred thousand years ago (Jacobs, Duller, Henshilwood & Wintle, 2006). We then reflect on aspects of science as it evolved in ancient northeast Africa with some reference to ancient Nubia, Ethiopia and Egypt, highlighting aspects of the contributions made in ceramics, building technology, medicine and metallurgy.
Research Interests: Geography and Indigenous
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Go to AGRIS search. Perspectives on women and the development of agricultural cooperatives in Nigeria. Thomas-Emeagwali, G. Publisher, Institute for African Alternatives, London (United Kingdom). ... Source, Alternative development... more
Go to AGRIS search. Perspectives on women and the development of agricultural cooperatives in Nigeria. Thomas-Emeagwali, G. Publisher, Institute for African Alternatives, London (United Kingdom). ... Source, Alternative development strategies for Africa. ...
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Research Interests: Geography and Indigenous
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... I guess we may have to go back to some of the following authors, to get the big picture about enslavement and slavery, before we focus on Africa, and we have quite a range of scholars to consult such as: David Brion Davis, Moses... more
... I guess we may have to go back to some of the following authors, to get the big picture about enslavement and slavery, before we focus on Africa, and we have quite a range of scholars to consult such as: David Brion Davis, Moses Finley and Westermann for slavery in Greece ...
Research Interests: Sociology and West Africa
In the first part of this chapter, we reflect on some of the fundamental features of non-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial educational systems in selected African countries. We examine the epistemological assumptions of these competing... more
In the first part of this chapter, we reflect on some of the fundamental features of non-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial educational systems in selected African countries. We examine the epistemological assumptions of these competing educational systems, and the value systems and historical contexts of their emergence. We then proceed to make the case for the systematic decolonization of specific aspects of curricula, with examples. We argue that Indigenous Knowledges should constitute the bedrock of postcolonial epistemology in the continent, and we provide specific examples of how and where this should be done.
The chapter explores various aspects of African Indigenous Knowledges as they relate to Africa’s legacy. African Indigenous Knowledge Systems constitute a conglomerate of various disciplines and intersecting epistemologies and value... more
The chapter explores various aspects of African Indigenous Knowledges as they relate to Africa’s legacy. African Indigenous Knowledge Systems constitute a conglomerate of various disciplines and intersecting epistemologies and value systems, by societies that have developed paradigms and ways of existence in ancestral lands. The accumulated knowledges have emerged out of trial and error experimentation as well as tested empirical practices and paradigms related to ecological, geographical, economic, social and other traditions of existence. Indigenous Knowledges have substantial implications for the curriculum, development strategies, employment generation, sustained endogenous growth and social movements.