Celebrating 50 Vibrant Years of African Studies at Stanford

"The hope was that in capturing each individual's interpretation of this place, we could bring to light how diverse yet singular this community actually is," wrote Alex Nana-Sinkam ('13, '14), who took the photographs.

 

"Be celebrated and celebrate," CAS Associate Director Laura Hubbard declared to the crowd that evening in her speech, which reflected on four themes expressed in the photos. "Home. The home you've made, the home in you, the home that is CAS. Strength. The strength in you, the strength you see in others, the strength to outstretch a hand, to swoop one another. Goodness. Good vibes, good food, good people, good times. Expansiveness. Expansive hearts, acceptance, inspiration and wholeness." 

 

CAS is not simple, it's full of contradictions, explained Atheel Elmalik ('15), who planned the exhibit. "We are all full of contradictions as people…[we've] created a kind of space where all of those contradictions are welcome so that we feel whole, we feel seen, we feel human and supported, as we continue to engage with the world around us."

 

The complexity of this community is also a reflection of the center's academic approach, which aims to demonstrate the great diversity of Africa. "The most important thing to remember about Africa is there is no one Africa," emphasized Faculty Director Richard Roberts, professor of history since 1980.

 

The center's interdisciplinary nature can be traced back to its roots in the 1960s, following the passage of the National Defense Act's Title VI, which provided funding to support a library and fellowships for graduate student research and language study. 

 

World-renowned anthropologist and linguist Joseph Greenberg was the first chair of the African Studies Committee. "Greenberg's model was to bring together a small group of scholars from different disciplines, working closely with graduate students, who were deeply interested in understanding the complexity of Africa." explained Roberts.

 

From the beginning, CAS had a "first-rate" library at the Hoover Institution and was strong in anthropology, history, political science, and education, recalled Professor Emeritus David Abernethy, a specialist in Sub-Saharan African politics who led the center for six years. CAS also benefited from the scholarship at the Food Research Institute, which conducted cutting-edge research on agricultural economics. 

 

In the last 20 years the center has expanded its offerings in the humanities, particularly literature and art, and has become more prominent in civil engineering, business and the medical sciences.

 

Throughout its history, CAS has also served as an important center for intelligent debate. During the anti-apartheid movement, Abernethy vividly remembers how "a world event became a Stanford event," recalling debates over sanctions and whether Stanford should divest from apartheid South Africa. "More students were arrested in peaceful marches and protests over apartheid than over Vietnam."  

 

Yet one of the most vibrant aspects of CAS is undoubtedly the students. African student organizations are very active on campus and host the annual African culture show—a tradition since the 1960's. Today, Stanford is home to more than 15 student groups relating to the continent.

 

"We are very proud of our alumni," said Abernethy, who taught at the university for 37 years. They include two Assistant Secretaries of State for African Affairs—Jendayi Frazer ('85, '89, '94) and Susan Rice ('86)—Jonathan Janson ('91), Vice Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State in South Africa, Omphemetse Mooki ('92), the first black South African Rhodes Scholar, and many others. 

 

Professor Roberts, who has advised more than 30 Ph.D.'s at Stanford, says "This has become one of the best, if not the best program in African history in the country."

 

Students from all parts of campus call CAS home. "From the beginning, I felt loved, and I loved the presence that I felt in this place," said Claus Omolo ('18). "It's my home away from home." 

 

For Jess Auerbach, Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology, CAS offers a space for intellectual creativity. "I love that I don't know what role I'll be in: sometimes it's complete ignoramus, other times it's expert, often a bit of both—this keeps things in perspective and makes the process of learning and teaching feel grounded in the world and in community." 

 

Auerbach, who wrote "big sibs, little sibs" on her arms in reference to a form of mentorship at CAS, also says that getting to know people in different roles at Stanford has helped her think about how her project fits into wider discussions: "That's given me a lot of confidence, and a far deeper sense of how to take the massive privilege of graduate education here and put it out into the world."

 

"I wrote on my arms "my forever family"—that's what it feels like," said Tebello Qhotsokoane ('16). "It's also the one place on campus that I've been able to have those brave conversations that are quite hard to have outside of this space." 

 

"Expansiveness," Associate Director Laura Hubbard aptly put it during the close of her remarks: "Ex-pan-sive-ness. Like you are enough, like you are possible, like we are enough, like we are possible. This, everything, celebrate and be celebrated, everything, every one of you. Happy Anniversary."