From the Invisible to the Visible: The Making of Women Scholars in Africology

Abstract

African womanist theory as Afrocentric theory explains its principles and objective in listing the important works of the first women who graduated with Africological PhDs from the first department of African American Studies, who built upon and disseminated Afrocentric metatheory created by Molefi Kete Asante, across the world.

Plain Language Summary

The title helps one to know that important studies of the women of the Discipline of Africology have been forgotten in the library archives. As Africologists, it is particularly important for us to be cognizant of our women Africologists. Current courses are often bereft of their insights. These Afrocentric women scholars offer important data not only for the early development of Africology but also for its current advance.

African womanism, sensitive to the intersections of race and patriarchy on the scholarly work of women in the discipline of Africology, highlights the critical research of the first 41 PhD women to graduate from department of African American Studies from 1991. Their works, hidden in the library archives, have lain dormant for too long. Current Africological research needs to address these important contributions to the development of the Discipline.