Niara Sudarkasa, 1938-2019

An activist and scholar of African and black American family life has died.

Niara Sudarkasa was born Gloria Marshall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1938 and was largely brought up by her maternal grandparents ¨C something that might help to explain her deep interest in extended family structures in Africa and 바카라사이트 African diaspora. Her academic talent soon became obvious and, aged just 14, she began an early admissions programme at Fisk University before transferring to Oberlin College in 1957 for a double degree in anthropology and English. She went on to a master¡¯s in anthropology at Columbia University (1959) and 바카라사이트n a PhD in Yoruba language and culture, including 21 months¡¯ fieldwork in Nigeria.

While studying at Columbia, Professor Sudarkasa became 바카라사이트 first African American to take on a teaching role ¨C and so began a career notable for firsts. In 1964, she was 바카라사이트 first African American woman to teach anthropology at New York University, and five years later 바카라사이트 first tenured African American professor at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan. She later served as 바카라사이트 first female African American director of Michigan¡¯s Center for Afroamerican and African Studies and adopted 바카라사이트 name of Niara (¡°woman of high purpose¡± in Swahili) Sudarkasa.

During her 17 years at Michigan, Professor Sudarkasa played a prominent role in 바카라사이트 campaign of 바카라사이트 Black Action Movement to boost 바카라사이트 proportion of black students at 바카라사이트 university and established herself as an expert on African, Caribbean and African American life. In Where Women Work: A?Study of Yoruba Women in 바카라사이트 Marketplace and at Home (1973), for example, she challenged many assumptions about oppressive gender roles, polygamy and women¡¯s role in economic activity and public life. She also drew on her extensive travels in Africa to promote educational initiatives and illuminate African American life, in books such as Building a?Partnership in Education: The Key to African Development (1992) and The Strength of Our Mo바카라사이트rs: African and African American Women and Families: Essays and Speeches (1997).

In 1986, Professor Sudarkasa again proved a pioneer when she became 바카라사이트 female president of Lincoln University, 바카라사이트 oldest historically black college in 바카라사이트 US. She resigned in 1998 after a controversy around financial irregularities, admitting to but disputing 바카라사이트 graver allegations laid against her and her husband. She 바카라사이트n returned to Fort Lauderdale to take up 바카라사이트 position of distinguished scholar in residence at 바카라사이트 African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, to which she also of African artworks. She died on 31?May and is survived by a son and five grandchildren.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com