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The Africa Institute recently concluded its second symposium, titled “Legacies of Race and Slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans,” as part of the ongoing country-focused season, “Thinking the Archipelago: Africa’s Indian Ocean Islands” in Zanzibar, Tanzania between June 12-14, 2023.
Convened by leading scholars Jeremy Prestholdt, Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego; Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf, Professor of Anthropology, Georgetown University in Qatar; and Uday Chandra, Assistant Professor of Government, Georgetown University in Qatar, the symposium provided a platform for scholars, experts, and practitioners from various countries to engage in interdisciplinary dialogues and explore the historical and contemporary implications of race and slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The program included a keynote lecture, four panel discussions, an artist presentation, poetry reading, a book launch and a historical visit to the ‘House of Royals’ facilitating discussions on memory and commemoration in shaping debates, the economic impact of slavery, and the intersections of race, gender, and class in the experiences of slavery and its aftermath among others.
“The Africa Institute is committed to fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration, deepening our understanding of the social, economic, and historical processes that have shaped the Indian Ocean region,” emphasized Salah M. Hassan, Director of The Africa Institute. “This symposium aimed to stimulate critical thinking and engagement with the legacies of race and slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, contributing to global conversations on racial justice and equity. It also paid tribute to the intellectual legacy of Professor Abdul Sheriff, a pioneering African scholar in the field of slavery and Indian Ocean studies.”
The conference included a special honor for Emeritus Professor Abdul Sheriff, whose contributions to the study of Indian Ocean littoral societies have been influential. Professor Sheriff’s works, including “Slaves, Spices & Ivory in Zanzibar” and “The Dhow Cultures of the Indian Ocean,” have expanded scholarly horizons.
Reflecting on his research, Professor Abdul Sheriff shared, “Through my work, I have witnessed the enduring legacies of slavery and its impact on race in the Indian Ocean region. It is crucial that we examine the socio-economic forces that gave rise to slavery and understand the processes of re-assimilation. I commend The Africa Institute for their commitment to fostering critical thinking and exploring the intricate fabric of the Indian Ocean realm.”
The conference convenors also praised Sheriff’s contributions, particularly his work on dhow cultures, which has enhanced our understanding of the social, economic, and historical processes that influenced generations of scholars.
Conference convenor, Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf compared Professor Sheriff’s work to Fernand Braudel’s Long Durée, which shed light on historical dynamics in the Mediterranean. “The Dow Cultures among others has brilliantly unmasked the connectivity and circularity of people, objects and ideologies. Sheriff’s work expounds the granular and interwoven patterns of borrowing and adapting across the Indian Ocean littoral. These microeconomies of exchanges demonstrate the pronounced mutualities that defined its peoples’ lifeworld’s in both material and symbolic terms,” adds Abusharaf.
The symposium served as the second installment in the country-focused season, “Thinking the Archipelago: Africa’s Indian Ocean Islands.” The series will continue with two more programs titled “Colorful Threads: The Interwoven Worlds of Art and Culture in the Western Indian Ocean” and “Intertwined Ecologies and Interconnected Histories: The Indian Ocean Rim” in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Africa Institute initiated this annual series to highlight the complex history of the African world, engage with its present, and envision new futures. The country-focused season aims to elevate the profile of Indian Ocean societies and share their histories and cultural heritage with a global audience.
The Africa Institute recently concluded its second symposium, titled “Legacies of Race and Slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans,” as part of the ongoing country-focused season, “Thinking the Archipelago: Africa’s Indian Ocean Islands” in Zanzibar, Tanzania between June 12-14, 2023.
The Africa Institute recently concluded its second symposium, titled “Legacies of Race and Slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans,” as part of the ongoing country-focused season, “Thinking the Archipelago: Africa’s Indian Ocean Islands” in Zanzibar, Tanzania between June 12-14, 2023.
Convened by leading scholars Jeremy Prestholdt, Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego; Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf, Professor of Anthropology, Georgetown University in Qatar; and Uday Chandra, Assistant Professor of Government, Georgetown University in Qatar, the symposium provided a platform for scholars, experts, and practitioners from various countries to engage in interdisciplinary dialogues and explore the historical and contemporary implications of race and slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The program included a keynote lecture, four panel discussions, an artist presentation, poetry reading, a book launch and a historical visit to the ‘House of Royals’ facilitating discussions on memory and commemoration in shaping debates, the economic impact of slavery, and the intersections of race, gender, and class in the experiences of slavery and its aftermath among others.
“The Africa Institute is committed to fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration, deepening our understanding of the social, economic, and historical processes that have shaped the Indian Ocean region,” emphasized Salah M. Hassan, Director of The Africa Institute. “This symposium aimed to stimulate critical thinking and engagement with the legacies of race and slavery in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, contributing to global conversations on racial justice and equity. It also paid tribute to the intellectual legacy of Professor Abdul Sheriff, a pioneering African scholar in the field of slavery and Indian Ocean studies.”
The conference included a special honor for Emeritus Professor Abdul Sheriff, whose contributions to the study of Indian Ocean littoral societies have been influential. Professor Sheriff’s works, including “Slaves, Spices & Ivory in Zanzibar” and “The Dhow Cultures of the Indian Ocean,” have expanded scholarly horizons.
Reflecting on his research, Professor Abdul Sheriff shared, “Through my work, I have witnessed the enduring legacies of slavery and its impact on race in the Indian Ocean region. It is crucial that we examine the socio-economic forces that gave rise to slavery and understand the processes of re-assimilation. I commend The Africa Institute for their commitment to fostering critical thinking and exploring the intricate fabric of the Indian Ocean realm.”
The conference convenors also praised Sheriff’s contributions, particularly his work on dhow cultures, which has enhanced our understanding of the social, economic, and historical processes that influenced generations of scholars.
Conference convenor, Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf compared Professor Sheriff’s work to Fernand Braudel’s Long Durée, which shed light on historical dynamics in the Mediterranean. “The Dow Cultures among others has brilliantly unmasked the connectivity and circularity of people, objects and ideologies. Sheriff’s work expounds the granular and interwoven patterns of borrowing and adapting across the Indian Ocean littoral. These microeconomies of exchanges demonstrate the pronounced mutualities that defined its peoples’ lifeworld’s in both material and symbolic terms,” adds Abusharaf.
The symposium served as the second installment in the country-focused season, “Thinking the Archipelago: Africa’s Indian Ocean Islands.” The series will continue with two more programs titled “Colorful Threads: The Interwoven Worlds of Art and Culture in the Western Indian Ocean” and “Intertwined Ecologies and Interconnected Histories: The Indian Ocean Rim” in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Africa Institute initiated this annual series to highlight the complex history of the African world, engage with its present, and envision new futures. The country-focused season aims to elevate the profile of Indian Ocean societies and share their histories and cultural heritage with a global audience.
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