Historian Ned Alpers (UCLA) on changing trends in Indian Ocean history and Africa’s centrality within it. Drawing from over three decades of research and a recently published book, Alpers discusses east African views of the Indian Ocean; slavery and the slave trade; resistance and agency.  He concludes by reflecting on the  daunting challenges and exciting opportunities facing Indian Ocean historians today. With guest host Laura Fair.

Afripod 32 [ 28:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Historians Stephanie Beswick (Ball State U.) and Jay Spaulding (Kean U.) on ethnicity, slavery, and trade in Sudan.  Focus is on pre-colonial times, with an emphasis on how power relationships and economic factors influenced identity formation and political conflict. The interview was conducted at the Sudan Studies Association meeting in East Lansing.

Africa Past and Present: Episode 28 [ 22:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Our first anniversary episode! Historian Martin Klein (Emeritus, U. of Toronto) reflects on African history and historiography and his life’s work on slavery in West Africa. Klein then sheds light on his ongoing research (in cooperation with leading Africanists) on African slaves. He concludes with observations about the state of historical research in Senegal, Mali, and Guinea.

Africa Past and Present: Episode 20 [ 49:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Walter Hawthorne (History, MSU) is an expert on Africa and the Atlantic World in the era of the slave trade.  We talk with him (and Joseph Lauer) about the history of rice farmers on the Upper Guinea Coast and the vigorous debate over Judith Carney’s “Black Rice” thesis. Hawthorne closes by describing his forthcoming book Forging a Creole Atlantic: Africans on the Upper Guinea Coast, in Portugal and in Amazonia, 1650-1830.

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