James S. Coleman African Studies Center

James S. Coleman African Studies Center. It is a premier research and teaching institution dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of Africa and its global diaspora, housed within the University of California, Los Angeles. Founded during a pivotal era of decolonization and the American civil rights movement, the center has evolved into a cornerstone for scholarship on the African continent and African American communities. Its mission encompasses advancing knowledge, training new generations of scholars, and fostering public understanding through a comprehensive array of academic programs, library collections, and community initiatives.

History and establishment

The center was established in 1959, originally named the African Studies Center, amid growing academic and political interest in post-colonial Africa. Its creation was influenced by the foundational work of scholars like James Smoot Coleman, a pioneering political scientist specializing in sub-Saharan Africa and comparative politics, for whom it was later renamed. The early years coincided with significant geopolitical events such as the Congo Crisis and the independence of nations like Ghana and Nigeria, shaping its initial research focus. Under the auspices of the University of California, Los Angeles, it became one of the first comprehensive African studies programs at a major American research university, receiving critical early support from the United States Department of Education as a National Resource Center.

Academic programs and research

The center administers an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree and a graduate certificate, collaborating closely with departments like History, Political Science, Anthropology, and World Arts and Cultures. Its core research initiatives span themes including African languages, postcolonial theory, development economics, and the Atlantic slave trade. Faculty and students engage in fieldwork across regions from the Sahel to Southern Africa, often supported by grants from the Social Science Research Council and the Fulbright Program. The center also hosts the James S. Coleman African Studies Center Colloquium Series, featuring prominent thinkers like Mamadou Diouf and Michele Mitchell, and maintains partnerships with institutions such as the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Town.

Library and resources

Housed within the UCLA Library system, the center benefits from the extensive Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University and the specialized collections of the UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library. Its own resources include a vast archive of governmental documents from the Organization of African Unity, rare manuscripts from the Swahili coast, and contemporary media from Nollywood. The UCLA Film & Television Archive holds significant works by filmmakers like Ousmane Sembène and Haile Gerima. These collections support research on diverse topics, from oral traditions in Mali to urban studies in Lagos, and are accessible through the Library of Congress classification system.

Notable faculty and alumni

The center has been home to distinguished scholars, including historian Robert A. Hill, editor of the Marcus Garvey papers, and anthropologist Christopher B. Steiner, an expert on African art. Political scientist Edmond J. Keller has contributed extensively to studies of the Horn of Africa. Among its notable alumni are Michael L. Raigrodski, a legal scholar, and Nwando Achebe, a historian of the Igbo people and professor at Michigan State University. Other graduates hold influential positions at the World Bank, the African Union, and universities like Howard University and Stanford University.

Publications and outreach

The center publishes the peer-reviewed UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center Publications Series, featuring monographs and conference proceedings. It produces working papers and policy briefs distributed to organizations like the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Key outreach activities include the annual Africa Week festival, which showcases music, dance, and lectures, and the K-12 Outreach Program that provides curriculum resources to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The center also collaborates with local institutions such as the California African American Museum and the Pan African Film Festival to promote public dialogue on issues from Afrofuturism to climate change in the Sahel.

Category:African studies Category:University of California, Los Angeles Category:Research institutes in California Category:Educational institutions established in 1959