Malians Enjoy Lectures on African-American History

March 23 – 27, 2009

ARS Speaker Sheldon Austin Addresses Audience at Centre Djoliba

From March 23 – 27, ARS Speaker Sheldon Austin provided a series of lectures on African-American history and the Civil Rights movement to packed audiences around Bamako.  In one event, over 600 students engaged in a lively discussion on issues such as the impact of the Black Panthers and Malcolm X on the Civil Rights movement during a lecture at the University of Bamako.  Later in the week, close to 100 Malian intellectuals looked for application of the American civil rights experience to the current problems of slavery and women’s rights in Mali.  Meanwhile, in several media interviews with written and broadcast media, Mr. Austin used President Obama’s book Dreams From my Father as an important window into the current state of race politics in America.  Malian audiences throughout were captivated with the fascinating history from slavery to Presidency that characterize the African-American experience, and many noted their admiration for American society and values.