6. The Pan-African Pantheon Lecture Series- Introducing Pantheons: Pan-Africanism in Quest for Liberation
The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), South Africa, in collaboration with the Centre of Pan African Thought (CPAT), London, and in liaison with Manchester University Press (MUP) and Jacana Publishers in Johannesburg, hosted the first of a 10-part virtual lecture series by zoom based on the edited volume titled The Pan-African Pantheon: Prophets, Poets, and Philosophers, on Wednesday 23 June 2021. The first lecture of the Pan-African Pantheon Lecture Series titled “Introducing Pantheons: Pan-Africanism in Quest for Liberation,” was delivered by Professor Adekeye Adebajo, Director of IPATC and editor of the volume.
In celebrating its fifth anniversary, the Centre of Pan African Thought, one of Britain’s leading spaces for African studies and dialogue with the world’s leading intellectuals and scholars on Africa, brings you 10 of the books’ authors, who each dissect general debates around slavery, colonialism, and reparations, as well as address the life and ideas of Pan-Africanicons such as Dudley Thompson, Malcolm X, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Steve Biko, Amy Ashwood Garvey, Derek Walcott, and Miriam Makeba. The Pantheon series is an opportunity to celebrate, reflect, revive, and reassert the commitment to Pan-Africanism as an imperative for African liberation – an essential ideology and practice for improving Africa’s economic and cultural standing in the contemporary geo-political landscape.
This virtual lecture was attended by 71 participants across the academic, civil society, governmental, and other engaged communities in South Africa, Africa, the Caribbean, North America, Europe, and beyond.
Event Type
Host
Centre of Pan African Thought
Date
23 June 2021
Lecturer
Professor Adekeye Adebajo
Time
20h00 and 22h00 (SAST)
Ms Zoliswa Ntsoko (South Africa) is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant who assists with general administration and research. She is a seasoned professional with a background in Disaster Management. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Management from Milpark Business School, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management from Regenesys Business School. She also holds certificates in Project Management, and in Disaster Management. Previously, she has worked as a Disaster Management Specialist at the City of Johannesburg – Disaster Management Centre.
Ms Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe-Moyo is the Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously served as a Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2013. She completed her master’s degree in International Studies, Peace, and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Scholar. She has just completed her doctoral studies at Rhodes University. Her areas of interest include: gender, foreign policy, regional organisations and conflict resolution.
Ms Thembeka Somtseu is a seasoned professional with a background in the textile and construction sectors. She holds a National Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology, and studied Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She worked as a corporate communications specialist for more than ten years, serving in both local and multinational companies.