Past CAS Events

  • Brown Bag Discussion, "Global Diaspora Conversations"

    Dr. Barbara Combs, Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and Professor of Sociology, "What We can Learn from The Alabama Riverboat Brawl."

    In Barbara Harris Combs’ 2022 book, Bodies Out of Place: Theorizing Anti-blackness in U.S. Society, she argues that anti-Black racism is not better than it used to be, it just takes different forms.

    In this discussion, Dr. Combs will utilize her theory to unpack the August 5, 2023, Alabama Riverboat Brawl in Montgomery, Alabama a city known as both “the cradle of the confederacy” and “the “Birthplace of the civil rights movement.” In her talk, she weaves a discussion of Black resistance to continuing racial oppression and Black cultural pride amidst the backdrop of overt and covert white supremacy.

    Date: October 24, 2024

    Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm

    Location: ALC4103 (Academic Learning Center)

    CAS Lecture Series: "Complex Identities of the African Diaspora"

    Dr. Derrick R. Brooms, Executive Director of the Black Men's Research Institute & Professor of Africana Studies, Morehouse College, "A Meditation on Black Male Identities and Black Masculinities"

    Date: October 15, 2024

    Time: 12:30pm - 1:45pm

    Location: ALC1201 (Academic Learning Center)

    Symposium & Panel Discussion, "American Elections and the African Diaspora: Implications of a Harris or Trump Presidency."

    The Center for Africana Studies, led by SGIA professor Nurudeen Akinyemi, is organizing panel discussion on the potential global impact of the 2024 American presidential election, with a focus on Africa and the African diaspora. Titled “American Elections and the African Diaspora: Implications of a Harris or Trump Presidency.” 

    The event will feature panelists Dr. Farooq Kperogi (Professor of Communication, KSU), Dr. Seneca Vaught (Professor of History, KSU), Dr. Carlton Usher (Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, KSU), and Dr. Nurudeen Akinyemi (Director of the Center for Africana Studies, KSU) as the moderator.

    Date: October 8, 2024

    Time: 12:30pm - 1:45pm

    Location: HS2204 (Prillaman Health Sciences)

    Brown Bag Discussion, "Global Diaspora Conversations"

    Dr. Seneca Vaught, Professor of History, Department of History and Philosophy, "Broadening the Path to Student Success: Journey-Based Learning as a Holistic Model for Student Achievement."

    Date: September 24, 2024

    Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm

    Location: ALC5103 (Academic Learning Center)

    CAS Lecture Series: "Complex Identities of the African Diaspora"

    Dr. Luciane Rocha, “You don’t look like a Brazilian”: Reflections on Brazuca’s Racial Identities.

    Brazil, known for its cultural diversity, has a complex tapestry of racial identities. While most Brazilians identify as "pardo" or mixed-race, there are also significant populations of self-identified Blacks, Whites, Asians, and Indigenous people. The concept of race in Brazil is often fluid and influenced by historical and social factors such as colonization, eugenic policies, colorism, and even gaining an advantage in affirmative action. Many factors, including skin color, ancestry, and cultural heritage, shape Brazilian identities. And it is even more complex when Brazilians migrate or visit North America, Europe, or Africa. This presentation will reflect on these questions using a socio-historical and personal account.

    Date: September 19, 2024

    Time: 11:00am - 12:15pm

    Location: ALC2105 (Academic Learning Center)

    Symposium & Panel Discussion, "Elections, Democracy & Political Change in Africa. Examining Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, & Kenya

    Panelists: 

    Dr. Oumar Cherif Diop, Professor of English (Senegal)
    Dr. Farooq Kperogi, Professor of Communication (Nigeria)
    Dr. Samuel Abaidoo, Professor of Sociology (Ghana)
    Ms. Muthoni Mpuria-Richards, Consulting Group, KuFaaNa,  (Kenya)
    Dr. Nurudeen Akinyemi, Director of Center for Africana Studies (Moderator)
     
    A (re)examination of the challenges, opportunities, implications, lessons learned from and sustainability of western style democratic experiment in African countries, and its ability to deliver economic dividends, political stability and peaceful coexistence among Africa's very diverse societies.

    Date: September 10, 2024

    Time: 12:30pm - 1:45pm

    Location: BB371 (Burrus Building)

    "Celebrating The Ties That Bind" Annual Cultural Festival

    Join us this year  as we celebrate and honor the cultural connections between Africa & the Diaspora. FREE authentic African & southern cuisine, fashion, music, dance & vendors providing a wide variety of goods & services available for purchase!

    Performing this year:  Soul Food Cypher, & southsidepoet. Fashion show featuring KSU staff & students!

    Featuring DJ Rasyrious

    We hope to see you there! 

    Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024, 11am-4pm

    Location: Carmichael Student Center University Rooms

    Year of Senegal Keynote Address, Q&A, & Panel Discussion

    Dr. Souleymanr Bachir Diagne, Columbia University, will present a keynote address titled, "Senegal, a tradition of Sufism," followed by a Q&A.

    Panel discussion, "Muslim Brotherhoods in Senegal" will feature, Drs. Diagne, Laura Cochrane, Central Michigan University, and Beth Buggenhagen, Indiana University, Bloomington.

    Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 11am-1:00pm.

    Location:  Prillaman Hall, HS 2204.

    Year of Senegal Lecture Series, T.I.E.

    As part of the Year of Senegal programming, and in honor of Women’s History Month, the Center for Africana Studies presents Senegalese artist, singer, poetess, songwriter and music producer, T.I.E. focusing on her research in experiential discovery questioning the function of the notion of gender in the balance of power in society, and Senegalese art and culture.

    Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 11am - 12:15pm.

    Location: Burrus Building, BB380

    Afro Diaspora Reunion

    Come and join an event that will showcase an important part of the Black experience from both historical and cultural perspectives while developing a greater sense of awareness and understanding.

    Sponsored by the French Club, the Center for Africana Studies, Engagement & Belonging, and Black Studies.

    Date:  Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 7pm - 9pm.

    Location:  Carmichael Student Center, UV Rooms.

    Year of Senegal Black History Month Series

    Join us for a discussion on the importance of ideas across disciplines & cultures featuring:

    Dasha Chapman (Dance), Kadian Callahan (Math), Trina Queen (Science, Tech, & Society), Seneca Vaught (Black Studies), Lucie Viakinnou-Brinson (French)

    Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 3:30pm

    Location: Social Sciences Bldg, Room 1019

    Sponsored by: Black Studies Program, Global Education’s Year of Senegal, Center for Africana Studies

    Center for Africana Studies Lecture Series

    Speaker: Dr. Jason Mueller, Assistant Professor of Sociology, KSU

    Topic: "With friends like this, who needs enemies? US 'humanitarianism' in Somalia."

    Date: Tuesday February 27, 2024

    Time: 11:00am - 12:15pm

    Location: English Building 182

    In Celebration of the Year of Senegal, this year's book club selection is "Brotherhood," by Senegalese writer, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

    “Written with maturity and unmatched sensitivity and empathy, Brotherhood explores many aspects of life under the Islamic fundamentalist regime. This book is multilayered, told in two parallel narratives: one told through the letters of grieving mothers and second one told through the story of a group of friends who stand up to the barbarism of the Brotherhood through publishing the journal condemning the crimes of the group. 

    Book Club Discussion - Friday, February 16, 2024, 3:00pm - 4:30pm. 

    This will be a hybrid event.  In-person option, ALC Bldg, Room 4201.  Teams link will be sent to all participants.

  • CivicGenius, Beyond Conflict: Shared Experiences, Stronger Democracy

    Co-sponsored by The Norman J. Radow College of Humanities & Social Sciences School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding & Development; Interdisciplinary Studies Department; Department of Criminology & Social Justice; Global Education Center for Africana Studies.

    In partnership with Beyond Conflict & Civic Genius, we are bringing the wisdom of Roelf Meyer & Mohammed Bhabha, and putting them in direct conversation with Americans seeking to navigate our nation's own moment of polarization and uncertainty.

    October 18, 2023, 3:30pm - 5:00pm

    Spate of Coups in Africa: A Panel Discussion

    APERO: The African Brown Bag Town Hall at UGA.

    In reaction to the high number of attempted coups in Africa over the last three years, the UGA African Studies Institute presents a virtual panel discussion. This special APERO session is co-sponsored by the University System Africa Council (USAC). It will feature faculty panelists from five institutions across the state discussing pertinent issues related to the recent strings of coups in Africa. Some of these have been successful in bringing the military into power in Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Sudan. Featured panelists on the virtual town hall are Dr. Nuru Akinyemi, Kennesaw State University, Dr. Chris Ippolito, Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Levar Smith, Morehouse College, Dr. Cathy Skidmore-Hess, Georgia Southern University, and Dr. Charles Ubah, Georgia College and State University.

    Date:  October 11, 2023, 12:30pm

    Webinar Link: https://zoom.us/s/95417506553

    Celebrating The Ties That Bind Annual Festival, 2023

    April 27, 2023, Bagwell College of Education 1st Floor Lobby

    This year's festival featured FREE African and Southern cuisine, fashion, music, crafts, arts, jewelry, cooking demonstrations, performances, and a variety of Black-owned business! 

    Join us next year on April 18th, Kennesaw Campus Student Center, University Rooms for a BIGGER & BETTER EXPERIENCE!

    Looking forward to seeing you there!

    Annual Book Club Discussion

    Our annual book club discussion featuring Dr. Tiya Miles', The House on Diamond Hill: A Cherokee Plantation Story.

    Books were free of charge for the first 20 participants attending the discussion. 

    Date: February 15, 2023
    Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

    Africa Defines Architecture Lecture, Panel Discussion, & Gallery Reception

    Lecture & Panel Discussion with Nmadili Oksumabua, The Community Planning & Design Initiative, Africa

    Date: February 13, 2023
    Time: 3:30 - 4:45 p.m.

    Gallery Reception
    Date: February 13, 2023
    Time: 4:45 - 6:00 p.m.

    The Art of African Architecture exhibition was on view from February 13-17, 2023.

    Women Writers of Color - Film & Television

    Dr. Anna Weinstein, Assistant Professor of Screenwriting, Department of English, faculty & student research project presentation, "Women Screenwriters of Color."

    Date: February 8, 2023

  • Chief Vann House Historic Site Visit, Chatsworth, Georgia

    "The most famous plantation in the southeastern Cherokee Nation." 

    Saturday, November 5, 2022 - book club participants explored the site that is the subject of CAS' FY '23 book club discussion. 

    Gateway to Ghana

    Tuesday & Thursday, September 6th & 8th, KSU Study Abroad students discuss the impact of their Summer '22 trip to Ghana. Engaging, enlightening, & intriguing. 

    KSU Welcomes Olivier van Beemen

    On April 4, 2022, author and investigative journalist, Olivier van Beemen, gave a keynote address about his book, "Heineken in Africa." Mr. van Beemen joined KSU faculty with expertise in Africana studies, Dr. Monica Swahn, Dr. Nurudeen Akinyemi, & Dr. Brandon Lundy to discuss artisanal alcohol making in West Africa and of the significant health burden of alcohol misuse and related harms across the African continent.

    9th Annual AADS Student Research & Community Engagement Virtual Conference

    Welcome Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs!

    AADS Student Research & Community Engagement Virtual Conference, "Mothers and the Movement."

    Dr. Tubbs joined us for the AADS conference on Thursday, March 24, 2022. 9:00am - 7:45pm. 

    Dialogues on Mothering: Transgressive Politics of Black Moms
    Popular Culture, Karens in Charge
    Racial Politics on Mothering Then & Now - Round-table Discussion.
    Keynote address, 12:00pm-1:30pm, ALC Auditorium, Room 1100 or virtually via AADS YouTube & Facebook.

  • Virtual Book Club Discussion

    The Center for Africana Studies hosted a campus-wide virtual bookclub discussion of:

    Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs, The Three Mothers, Flatiron Books, 2021

    Date: October 20, 2021

    CAS' Lecture Series

    Campus lecture by Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, a Nigerian human rights scholar and activist on "Confronting Inequality to Promote Change:  A Case Study of Women in Nigeria Since Independence."

    Date: October 8, 2021

    Virtual Book Club Discussion

    The Center for Africana Studies held a virtual book club discussion of:

    Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing, Vintage Press, 2017

    Date: March 19, 2021

    Let's Talk with Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither

    A virtual workshop series featuring Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither

    Dates:

    Feb. 23, 2021
    March 2, 2021
    March 17, 2021
    March 30, 2021
    April 14, 2021
    April 17, 2021

    ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Training Program

    Dates:

    February 26, 2021
    March 12, 2021
    March 26, 2021

  • Let's Talk

    CAS' Conversation Series exploring topics of interest to the KSU Community.  Faculty, staff, & students...Let's Talk!

    Date: Oct 9, 2020

    UN-SDG Ambassadors

    Collaboration with CIFAL-Atlanta Developing Sustainable Development Ambassadors.  Sixteen KSU students, undergraduate &  graduate ambassadors, selected for the inaugural program.

    Date: December 5, 2019 - June 30, 2020

    2020 Civil Rights Conference

    "Rethinking Human Rights in Times of Crisis: Local & Global Perspectives of Resilience and Dignity.

    Dates: March 12 - 14, 2020

    Location: KSU

  • 23rd Annual Southeast Model African Union

    Hosted the 23rd Annual Southeast Model African Union simulation conference.  300+ students from universities across Georgia and one national university participated in the simulation.

    Date: November 7-9, 2019

    ASA Africa Night

    Celebration of cultures of Africa through Visual and Performance Arts.  Co-sponsored with the African Student Association.

    Date: November 8, 2019

    1619-2019 400 Years Commemoration of Africans in America

    Saturday, October 12, 2019, Historic Old Zion Baptist Church Museum, Marietta

    11:00am-12pm, KSU Student Panel

    Rhapsody's Revenue Dance Ensemble

    5:00pm: 1619 Commemorative Concert featuring FIsk University Jubilee Singers and Dr. Oral Moses

    A Celebration of African American Life, History & Culture

    KSU Student Panel:  "Ghana: From Door of No Return to Year of Return." 

    Tribute to Toni Morrison: Selected readings and discussion of Morrison's Works by Drs. Tony Grooms, Griselda Thomas, Gina Bradley, & Cherif Diop.

    Bunce Island Exhibit Presentation by Dr. Dan Paracka.

    Gumbo Mix: The Food, Music & Art of the African Diaspora featuring - KSU Gospel Choir, North Paulding High School Choir, Georgia Spiritual Ensemble, twelve25 Band, spoken word performances, & Vendor exhibition.

    Date: October 10-12, 2019

    US-Africa Trade & Investment Global Summit

    Collaboration with US-Africa Trade Council.  Participants from across the United States & across Africa.

    Date: September 26-28, 2019

    Marietta Museum of History Civil Rights Project

    Collaboration with the English Department (Prof. Rochelle Cox) and the Marietta Museum of History.  Sponsorship of student research and presentation to the Marietta community "of" and "to" local Civil Rights Icons.

    Date: May 3, 2019

    CAADS / CORED

    Welcome Professor Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Georgia Chapter

    Faculty Development Seminar: CAADS-CORED Collaboration: "Building a Community of Respect for Human Dignity."

    Date: April 25, 2019

    CAADS & Gender & Women's Studies Collaboration and the College of Humanities & Social Sciences

    Symposium on "Trauma & Resilience" 

    Keynote lecture and class visits by author, Aminata Forna / Book discussion of Forna's "The Hired Man: A Novel."

    Date: April 25, 2019

    Book Club Discussion

    Aminata Forna's "The Hired Man: A Novel."

    Date: April 15, 2019

    M.A.D.E. (Making a Difference Everywhere)

    Sponsorship of Student Community Engagement

    M.A.D.E. - An alternative spring break of community service and civic engagement in New Orleans.

    Date: March 30 - April 5, 2019

    Faculty Spotlight - Focus on Faculty

    Dr. Oral Moses (Emeritus Professor) Lecture & musical performance, "The Negro Spiritual: Songs of Resistance and Resilience
  • CAS Lecture Series

    Campus lecture by Anthony Grooms on "The Vain Conversations"

    Date: October 29, 2018

    Book Club Discussion

    Dr. Anthony Grooms, "The Vain Conversation: A Novel"

    Date: October 26, 2018

    Faculty Spotlight - Focus on Faculty

    Addressing Intercultural Faith and interfaith discussions in the Classroom.  Keynote lecture: Dr. Abdullahi An-Na'im, Emory University, "Living the Values We Seek to Uphold."

    Date: April 27, 2018

    Film Screening & Panel Discussion

    Award-Winning Film "90 Days," A Film by Nathan Hale Williams & Jennia Fredrique Aponte

    Co-sponsored with the Department of English

    Date: April 10, 2018

    Pan-Africa Week

    Co-sponsored with the Interdisciplinary Studies Department and the African & African Diaspora Studies program

    • The Art of African Architecture week-long Poster Exhibit and Panel Discussion with area architects. 
    • Campus lecture on Brazilian Women's Movement
    • Uganda Youth Choir Concert
    • African Cultural Night - Visual and Performance Art; Taste of Africa; Fashion Show
    • Film screening and panel discussion

    Date: March 19-22, 2018

    CAS Lecture Series

    "African Women in the Judiciary"  Dr. Josephine J. Dawuni, Howard University, Washington, DC. Co-sponsored with the Interdisciplinary Studies Department and the African & African Diaspora Studies program

    Date: March 1, 2018

    Book Club Discussion

    Michele Alexander's "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindedness

    Date: February 9, 2018

  • Southeast Model African Union Conference

    Georgia Southern University

    CAS Director, Nuru Akinyemi, led fifteen (15) students to the Southeast Model African Union simulation.  The KSU team represented Algeria, Niger, and Sao Tome and Principe, winning several individual and team "outstanding" awards.  Fifteen (15) universities participated in the Southeast Model.

    Date: November 9-11, 2017

    Student Leadership Forum

    African Diaspora Student Leadership Forum:  Haitian Youth Leadership Forum (HYLF), co-sponsored with the Consul General of Haiti in Atlanta.

    The HYLF brought more than 200 participants to campus, including middle and high school students and their parents, employers, career counselors and mentors.  The focus of the HYLF included college and career counseling, job interview role-playing, and leadership training. (225 participants)

    Date: September 23, 2017

    Faculty Development Seminar

    "Interfaith Dialogues"

    Keynote speaker & expert facilitator, Dr. Tania Saeed, University of Lahore, Pakistan.  This seminar focused on interfaith dialogues.

    Date: May 26-27, 2017

    Pan Africa Week

    African Diaspora Student Leadership Forum with student panels and participants from across the university; a poster exhibit; film screening; faculty panel discussion.

    Date: March 20-24, 2017.

    International Model African Union Conference

    Washington, DC

    CAS Director led KSU students to very successful International Model African Union simulation conference, hosted by Howard University, Washington, DC. Seventeen (17) students represented Cameroon, Rwanda and Uganda, winning several individual and team "outstanding" awards.  Over forty (40) universities from across the United States, Canada and Kenya participated in the simulation conference.

    Date: February 23-26, 2017

    Teaching Africa Workshop for Georgia 6th through 12th Grade Teachers

    The Teaching Africa Workshop strategically brings together seasoned experts representing the diverse multidisciplinary nature of African studies - from History, Political Science, Literature, Foreign Languages, Visual & Performance Arts, Anthropology, Geography, Science Education, and Information Technology.  Colleagues spend months deliberating and designing the framework and contents of the curriculum for this workshop with keen awareness of and attention to the Georgia and national performance standards.

    2-1/2 day workshop

    1 PLU