What is it about?
Our special issue explores the literatures and literacies of four major languages of West Africa: Wolof, Mandinka, Hausa, and Fula, and situates African Ajami studies within participatory multimedia and digital archiving approaches. Our introductory article discusses the building blocks and historical development of Ajami cultures in West Africa and explores the opportunities for participatory knowledge-making that accompany the rise of digital technologies in the study of African literatures and literacies.
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Why is it important?
African Ajami literatures hold a wealth of knowledge on the history and intellectual traditions of the region but are largely unknown to the larger public. The history of Ajami refutes the claims that Africa lacks written traditions. The downplaying of the significance of African Ajami traditions has long characterized Arab-centric and Eurocentric scholars and administrators of the colonial era, and its legacy persists, perpetuating racial stereotypes, and limiting political and educational participation.
Perspectives
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ʿAjamī Literacies of Africa: The Hausa, Fula, Mandinka, and Wolof Traditions, Islamic Africa, October 2023, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/21540993-20230002.
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Resources
African Ajami Scholars Publish New Special Issue in Islamic Africa
News article by the Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies
NEH Ajami Project Members Publish New Special Issue in Islamic Africa
Blog article by the Boston University NEH Ajami project
Collaborative Workshop: Three Years of the NEH Ajami Project
Blog article by the Boston University NEH Ajami project
African Studies Center's NEH Ajami Project Develops New Resources
News article by the Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies
BU African Ajami Project Develops New Resources
News article by the Boston University African Studies Center
NEH Ajami Project Website
Project website of the Boston University NEH Ajami Research Project
First part of special issue "Ajami Literacies in Africa"
First part of the special issue in Islamic Africa, vol. 14/2, 2023
Second part of special issue "Ajami Literacies in Africa"
Second part of the special issue in Islamic Africa, vol. 15/1, 2024
"Exploring African Ajami in the Era of Digital Humanities"
Guest blog article in Brill Blog "Humanities Matter"
"Digitizing the Histories of Islamic West Africa"
Blog article in the British Library Endangered Archives blog
Contributors
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