Every Wednesday at noon — since 1973! — African Studies Program faculty, students, and community members have gathered for AFRICA AT NOON, a one-hour weekly lecture series bringing diverse African research from scholars around the world to a campus and community audience.
Even a global pandemic couldn’t keep us from bringing our community together to share the latest in Africanist research. In Fall 2020, we launched a virtual version of the series on Zoom. The online format, although admittedly lacking the in-person sense of community and the locally-roasted, fresh-brewed coffee that we all dearly miss, offered several unexpected benefits. The program was able to host a record number of international scholars such as Robtel Neajai Pailey and Hlonipha Mokoena, and we were able to reconnect with alumni and new audiences from across the globe. Every event had attendees from at least three continents. The online format also offered new accessibility options to serve more members of our community, such as those individuals with mobility constraints, caretaking responsibilities, needs for captioning transcription services, or even those of us who suffer from Wisconsin winter syndrome (Is it just us, or does the hike to Ingraham grow longer when it is -20F outside?).
The program has elected to continue offering an exclusively virtual format for now, with the potential for a pivot to in-person options later in the fall semester. But rest-assured global Africanist Badgers, the series will be live-streamed online even after we return to Ingraham Hall. We’re installing the latest and greatest new technology in our beloved Ingraham 206 to keep our community connected, wherever they may be.
Our fall lineup is now available, and once again features scholars from across the globe. View schedule.
The series will kick off on September 15 with a special event celebrating the campus common reading program, GO BIG READ, which has selected Transcendent Kingdom as this year’s featured book. Learn more.
Yala Kisukidi. Will deliver our annual Jan Vansina on October 13th. Learn more.
If you miss the collegial warmth of our African community, consider joining us each Wednesday for AFRICA BEFORE NOON. This Zoom meeting is designed to give you a virtual space to catch up with friends and colleagues from across campus.
Please email connect@africa.wisc.edu with any questions you might have.