Speaker: Aili Tripp
Time: 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm
Venue: 206 Ingraham Hall
ABSTRACT:
Many people have wondered about the life-long relationship between Joan Wicken and Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s founding president. This talk is about a book that provides the first in-depth window into the life of this British woman, who was a staunch and loyal supporter of Nyerere. She was his personal assistant, speechwriter, confidant, sounding board, and friend. In this book, Wicken tells us about getting to know Nyerere and their decades’ long collaboration. The interview shows how she came to play such a significant role in Nyerere’s life and in essence, the building of Tanzania. She tells us much about the man as a person and how he experienced events in the country after Independence and leading up to his death. The book shows a side of Joan Wicken that very few would have seen. Her wit and dry humor is on display as she discusses the president she served for almost 40 years and the country she called home for most of her adult life.
Bio
Aili Mari Tripp is Vilas Research Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research has focused on gender/women and politics, women’s movements in Africa, transnational feminism, African politics, and the informal economy in Africa. She is author of several award-winning books, including Seeking Legitimacy: Why Arab Autocracies Adopt Women’s Rights (2019), Women and Power in Postconflict Africa (2015), African Women’s Movements: Transforming Political Landscapes (2009) with Isabel Casimiro, Joy Kwesiga, and Alice Mungwa, and Women and Politics in Uganda (2000). She has served as the President of African Studies Association and Vice President of the American Political Science Association. She currently is an Editor of the American Political Science Review.