Esther Dreams: Pan-African Lives, Racial Politics, and Belonging in Africa

This talk draws from history to highlight two chapters of a book project -- that of African-born women and their Black American counterparts. The women of focus wielded their maternal power to shape new understandings of Africanness and identities in the mid-20th century West Africa. The women's lives offer one historical view point of how individuals of color proposed an alternative message and avenue toward racial equity and international peace, one that went beyond their religious stance and across racial boundaries. Their stories ultimately remind us how much more work there is today to achieve racial equity and global harmony.

Presenter: Jacqueline-Bethel Tchouta Mougoue

Chair: Professor Akosua Adomako-Ampofo