Black History Month: Dean's Book Group

Prof. Getachew reviews the contributions of several waves of “Anglophone Black Atlantic anticolonialists” in the United States, the Caribbean and Africa. These scholar-practitioner-leaders included African-American intellectuals like W.E.B. Du Bois, as well as post-independence leaders of Trinidad and Tobago (Eric Williams), Ghana (Kwame Nkrumah), Jamaica (Michael Manley), Tanzania (Julius Nyerere), among other figures.  Her close study of the Black Atlantic scholar-leaders illustrates that a different world order was possible – one less prone to domination and inequality than the order that ultimately emerged (what Nkrumah dubbed “neocolonialism”). What’s more, Prof. Getachew makes explicit the link between these leaders’ efforts at “worldmaking” and their analysis of the role of enslavement of Africans and anti-Black racism in the development of the global system.

This history and these issues matter particularly to the Middlebury Institute. Our school was founded to educate leaders to contribute to the very international order opposed in part by these Black Atlantic leaders. As a new presidential administration takes over in the US, many people are looking to rebuild and replace a global political system in disarray with a more equitable and just order. Many of you will play varied and important roles in the global system that emerges.  It is my hope that our reading and discussion will inform and enrich our effort to reimagine our collective, from your perspective as future professionals in security, the environment, languages, education, development, translation, interpretation, localization, public policy, and beyond.

The book group will meet three successive Thursdays, beginning this week. The schedule is as follows:

Feb 11, 5:30-6:45 pm

Feb 18, 5:30-6:45 pm

Feb 25, 3:30-4:45 pm

All times Pacific Standard.

Participants need not attend all sessions, nor read all of the book’s chapters, but I hope that some of you will be able to do so. Please note that Prof. Getachew will join us for the session of Thursday February 25.

If you are interested please email me to sign up.