Center for African Studies at the University of Florida

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Center for African Studies at the University of Florida

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The Center for African Studies is in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Florida.

10/19/2026

Can language become a tool of political power?
Join us for our next Baraza with Dr. Joshua Castillo, “The Chief’s Word is Law: Mobutu’s Lingala Speech-Making and the Practice of Power in Congo-Zaire.”

Explore how Mobutu used Lingala to shape national identity, reinforce authoritarian rule, and influence everyday political life in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Friday, October 23 @3:30 PM

🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio!

10/14/2026

Five UF grad students. Five countries. One competition.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Lens on Africa Graduate Research Video Competition. These students turned their Africa-focused fieldwork into short videos, and each earned a travel award to take their research further:

Mohammed Sanda (Geography): how insecurity from the Sahel is reshaping border communities in Northern Ghana

Wambui Gachunga (Biomedical Engineering): rethinking menstrual health education for adolescent girls in Soweto, South Africa

Brandon Isenman (Sustainable Development Practice): shade-grown coffee as a new livelihood in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park

Abigail Ryan (Anthropology): how Maasai women in Tanzania pass down medicinal knowledge

Kevin Kimtai (School of Music): the Kenya Music Festival as a lifelong classroom

Watch all five videos
https://africa.ufl.edu/lens-on-africa-graduate-research-video-competition-2026-winners/

10/13/2026

Join the UF Center for African Studies for “Language, Philosophy, and Stone in Zimbabwe,” featuring Dr. Tinashe Mushakavanhu of Harvard University.

A Zimbabwean writer, literary scholar, and curator, Mushakavanhu explores the intersections of African literature, archives, and visual culture. Join us for an engaging conversation exploring Zimbabwe's cultural and intellectual traditions.

Friday, October 16, 2026
3:30 PM

Learn more: https://calendar.ufl.edu/clas_africanstudies/event/57570-language-philosophy-and-stone-in-zimbabwe

09/28/2026

Symposium & Baraza--> Saharanism invites us to rethink the Sahara beyond conventional narratives, exploring its people, histories, environments, cultures, and connections through interdisciplinary research and conversation.

w/ Brahim El Guabli, Baba Adou, Cory Dakota Satter and many others

View the event page: https://lnkd.in/dt5eETfr

09/25/2026

Join us at today’s Baraza for a celebration of UF’s world-class Africana library collection on the occasion of the retirement of UF Africana librarian Dan Reboussin. Presenters Luise White, Susan Cooksey and Robin Poynor will highlight jewels of the collection and explain the unique qualities of the library and celebrate Dan’s extraordinary contribution to all our work.

Reception to follow.

https://calendar.ufl.edu/clas_africanstudies/event/56520-celebrating-ufs-african-studies-library-collection

09/23/2026

NAFSI in both Swahili and Arabic means “self,” “soul,” or “personal,” denoting something that is personal to someone.

Join us for the next webinar in our Language, Culture, and the Workplace series and the launch of the NAFSI Working Group! Connect across higher education, nonprofits, and the private sector to share insights on workforce preparedness, human capital development, and African language and culture programs.

September 24th; 2-3pm; Grinter 404 & Zoom

https://calendar.ufl.edu/clas_africanstudies/event/58005-nafsi-panel-the-future-of-education-for

09/16/2026

Your language skills can take you further than the classroom. Join us for an AFLI Info Session with the Boren Awards and discover how intensive African language study can connect you to international experience, federal service, and career opportunities in government, diplomacy, national security, international development, and more.

#2028 #2029

https://calendar.ufl.edu/clas_africanstudies/event/57884-afli-info-session-w-boren

09/15/2026

How does place shape the way society understands victims of sexual violence?

Join the UF Center for African Studies for a Baraza with Dr. Aditi Malik, Associate Professor of Political Science at the College of the Holy Cross, for a timely conversation:

How Granular Sites of Sexual Violence Inform Constructions of R**e Victims in South Africa and India

Drawing on research across Africa and South Asia, Dr. Malik examines sexual and gender-based violence, social movements, and how victims’ social locations can influence public responses to violence.

https://calendar.ufl.edu/clas_africanstudies/event/56519-how-granular-sites-of-sexual-violence-inform-construct

09/01/2026

WELCOME African Students!!
Join us for the ASX Home Away From Home Reception, a space to connect with fellow students, build community, enjoy good food, and celebrate the many cultures that make up our African student community in Gainesville

Saturday, September 19
4:00–7:00 p.m.
Pugh Hall

Come as you are and leave with new connections. We can’t wait to welcome you home.

More information: https://calendar.ufl.edu/clas_africanstudies/event/56514-asx-home-away-from-home-reception

08/26/2026

AFRIGANZA'26 🌍️ Recap 3/3

Listen in as Zulu Professor Phumelele Ndlela☀️ presents on the culture and fashion of South Africa, Brandon from Brando and friends roasting adventure Coffee presents on and shares coffee from Rwanda Kenya and Ethiopia, and CAS Ambassador Abbey does the same with tea!

Thanks for coming out, see y'all at next year's ✨️AFRIGANZA✨️

Address

427 Grinter Hall
Gainesville, FL
32611

Telephone

+13523922183

Website

http://www.africa.ufl.edu/

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