Mugo kicks off African Studies program

Kicking off Georgia College & State University’s new program in African Studies is Dr. Micere Mugo, a distinguished African speaker who will speak on “African Women: Narratives of Assertion and Agency.”

Contributing to GC&SU’s Celebration of Africa, Mugo, professor of African and African-American studies at Syracuse University, will be the keynote speaker in GC&SU’s Arts & Sciences Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m.

Aside from being a professor, Mugo is also an author, lecturer, playwright and literary critic on African literature, life and culture.

According to Dr. Eustace Palmer, professor of English, GC&SU chose Mugo to speak for a number of reasons.

“We were looking for a dynamic, articulate, compelling and knowledgeable speaker who would arouse great interest in African affairs,” Palmer said. “We were looking for someone who would be frank and objective and present the picture as it really is.”

Palmer said one of the most misunderstood aspects of African life is the condition of African womanhood.

“We thought there should be some focus on African women and their contribution to African life,” Palmer said. “[Mugo] will also tackle literary and cultural matters.”

By speaking, Mugo will attempt to clear up certain fallacies about Africa. Her goal is to prove that despite the misconceptions, Africa has produced highly intellectual people, many of whom are women.

Mugo was recently named the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence, becoming the first black person to receive the prestigious award at SU.

Mugo has been a tireless campaigner for both women’s rights and human rights for years.

“Some people might even call her an activist and an advocate for freedom everywhere,” Palmer said. “This is a woman who had to go into exile from her native Kenya because one of her creative works had such an impact on the people that it alarmed the then dictorial government.”

The English Department, the Creative Writing Program, the Georgia Education Mentorship Program and the Office of Multicultural Affairs are sponsoring Mugo’s appearance.

For more information, contact Eustace Palmer at (478) 445-5557 or eustace.palmer@gcsu.edu.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 22 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry