In this episode, host Dr. Rachel Gillett discusses the new publication titled “Visions of African Unity” with editors Dr. Frank Gerits, Dr. Matteo Grilli, and chapter contributor Dr. Onianwa Oluchukwu Ignatus. The edited volume sheds light on the long history of African unification. Chapters written by scholars from a range of disciplines show how ideas of African unity shaped Cold War and African liberation struggles. Our conversation in this episode reflects on the process of the book’s development, delving into concepts of ‘Pan-Africanism,’ and ‘Afro-Optimism.’ We discuss the experience of accessing important archives and weigh in on whether African Unity is possible.
Visions of African Unity: New Perspectives on the History of Pan-Africanism and African Unification Projects is out now! https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030529109
Dr. Frank Gerits is Assistant Professor in the History of International Relations at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. His research focuses on the diplomatic history of territories that were formerly colonised. He previously held postdoctoral positions at New York University, USA, and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Dr. Matteo Grilli is a postdoctoral fellow in the International Studies Group at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He specializes in decolonization and Pan-Africanism and is also working on the history of European migrations in Africa. He is the author of Nkrumaism and African Nationalism: Ghana’s Pan-African Foreign Policy in the Age of Decolonization (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018).
Dr. Onianwa Oluchukwu Ignatus is an independent researcher and member of the Research Team Routledge Encyclopaedia of African Studies. Graduate of the University of Ibadan, his research focuses on Diplomatic History, War and Peace, Military History, and the Nigerian Civil War. He is author of Chapter 8 in Visions of African Unity titled ‘In Between the Cold War Politics: The OAU Consultative Committee and Anglo-American Diplomacy in the Nigerian Civil War, 1967–1970.’
ABOUT
Brought to you by the UGlobe Decolonisation Group
Hosted by Rachel Gillett
Music by CarlosCarty (CC-BY-3.0)
Production assistance from Edan Simpson and Malina Yallanki
Special thanks to our guests Dr. Frank Gerits, Dr. Matteo Grilli, and Dr. Onianwa Oluchuckwu Ignatus.
