Upcoming Events
Spring 2026 Events Line Up
Download the entire Spring 2026 calendar here:
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series:
Tues, 27 JAN (18:00-19:15 UTC; 12:00-1:25 pm CST)
Rahina Muazu, KU Department of AAAS
Women’s Voices, Sacred Texts: Gender, Authority, and Qur’anic Soundscapes in Contemporary Africa
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series:
Tues, 17 Feb (18:00–19:15 UTC; 12:00–1:25 pm CST)
Thomas Keegan, KU Department of History
Fugitive Science: Eugenic Discourse and West African Political Expression in Colonial Freetown
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series/Langston Hughes Center Colloquium :
Mon, 9 MAR (20:00-21:00 UTC; 3:00-4:00 pm CST
Ricka Mamma, KU School of Social Welfare; Intimate Partner Violence and Immigrant Women: Intersecting Factors Shaping Vulnerability and Resilience
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series:
Wed, 25 MAR (17:00–18:15 UTC; 12:00–1:25 pm CST)
Mungai Mutonya
Mapping Nairobi’s Linguistic Profile: Methods, Challenges, and Insights
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series:
Tues, 14 APR (17:00–18:15 UTC; 12:00–1:25 pm CST)
Korkor Ebeheakey, History of Art, University of Michigan; and Lecturer, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
Marked Histories: Ga-Dangme Body Modification as Language, Art, and Archive
Ujamaa Virtual Colloquium Series:
Wed, 7 MAY (17:00–18:15 UTC; 12:00–1:25 pm CST)
Maxamed Abu-Maye, Department of AAAS, Ohio State University
Black Muslim Refugee: Militarism, Policing, and Somali American Resistance to State Violence
March Events
Friday, March 6
KASC Graduate Research Symposium
15:00–23:00 UTC | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM CST
Join the Kansas African Studies Center for the annual Graduate Research Symposium. This event showcases graduate student research related to Africa and the African diaspora, featuring presentations, scholarly discussion, and interdisciplinary engagement.
AFRICA TAMASHA WEEK 2026
March 30 – April 4, 2026
Join the Kansas African Studies Center for a weeklong celebration of African and diasporic cultures through language, film, scholarship, and community gathering.
Monday, March 30
Africa Tamasha Week Launch
Kick off Africa Tamasha Week with an opening celebration introducing this year’s theme, speakers, and featured events.
Wednesday, April 1
African (Diasporic) Language Festival
Celebrate the richness and diversity of African and African diasporic languages through interactive activities, performances, and cultural exchange.
Thursday, April 2
Film Screening: Malês (2024)
5:00 PM CST
The Forum, Marvin Hall
A screening of Malês (2024), a film developed in consultation with Professor João José Reis. The film explores the history and legacy of the Malê uprising in nineteenth-century Brazil.
Friday, April 3
Global African Studies Lecture
17:00 UTC | 12:00 PM CST
100 Stauffer-Flint Hall
João José Reis
Department of History, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil
Lecture Title:
Manoel Joaquim Ricardo, A Successful Hausa Freedman in Bahia, c. 1806–1865
This lecture examines the life and historical significance of Manoel Joaquim Ricardo within the broader context of African diaspora history in Brazil.
Saturday, April 4
Africa Night Party
Close out Africa Tamasha Week with an evening of music, dance, and celebration of African culture.