The African Heritage Studies Association (AHSA) was founded in 1969. Since that time, it has been instrumental in reconstructing, representing, and promoting African history and culture.
Driven by changing the status quo whilst being a leader in the struggle to ignite an African renaissance, the Association of informed and inspired generation of scholars is “dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and academic presentation of the heritage of African people on the ancestral soil of Africa and in the diaspora.”
AHSA has not only existed to be a major challenger of the typical Eurocentric view of Africa and African studies, but also works to positively impact political, social and economic union among communities of Africans through its people-centred global initiatives.
As a solid voice for championing the liberation of African people everywhere, AHSA has a vision of being the foremost African heritage-led organization whilst “creating a unique African centered leadership development process for youth, community organizers and scholar-activists.”
Each year, AHSA organizes its annual conferences with diverse participants including the best and brightest African-centered scholars and activists. The organization has also played a major role in “critiquing and pressuring elected officials on US policy towards Africa and its effective promotion and support of Black Studies and African Studies in schools and colleges.”
The Official Website of AHSA captures the history of the Association as follows:
“The organization grew out of a protest at the 1968 African Studies Association (ASA) meeting in Los Angeles. Led by Dr. John H. Clarke, African descendant scholars demanded changes in ASA’s Eurocentric approaches to African Studies and its marginalization of African descendant scholars. Due to the failure of ASA to reform itself, the African descendant scholars occupied the 1969 ASA Annual Meeting in Montreal, with the support of scholars from around the globe.”
“Following the 1969 occupation, the concerned African descendants incorporated AHSA in New York in 1969 following a meeting at Federal City College. Dr. John H. Clarke was the founding AHSA President and James Turner, Leonard Jeffries, Shelby Lewis (Smith), Nicholas Enyewu and Edward Scobie were among the founding Directors of the organization. The 1st AHSA Annual Conference was held at Howard University in 1970. The 2nd was held at Southern University (1971), the 3rd was held at (1972).”
“It is important to note that AHSA successfully challenged the right of ASA to be seated as the official US delegation to the 1973 International Association of Africanists in Addis Ababa. The challenge resulted in Dr. John H. Clarke, AHSA’s President, being selected to serve as leader of a joint AHSA-ASA delegation.”
Currently, AHSA is offering a 15 percent discount for new memberships. Join AHSA before December, 31st 2021 to avail of this offer.
You can also make a difference by giving a DONATION to support AHSA.
To reach out to AHSA, kindly contact: ahsainfo@ahsa50.org.
By: Theresa R. Fianko
Additional Information From: The African Heritage Studies Association’s Website
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