Founder Dr. John Henrik Clark

“A people’s relationship to their heritage is the same as the relationship between a child and its mother.”

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The African Heritage Studies Association (AHSA) was founded in 1969 as an association of scholars of African descent, dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and academic presentation of the heritage of African people on the ancestral soil of Africa and in the diaspora. For more than four decades it has been the major challenger of the Eurocentric view of Africa and African Studies and a leader of the struggle to ignite an African Renaissance.

The organization grew out of a protest at the 1968 African Studies Association (ASA) meeting in Los Angeles. Led by Dr. John H. Clarke, African descendant scholars demanded changes in ASA’s Eurocentric approaches to African Studies and its marginalization of African descendant scholars. Due to the failure of ASA to reform itself, the African descendant scholars occupied the 1969 ASA Annual Meeting in Montreal, with the support of scholars from around the globe.

Following the 1969 occupation, the concerned African descendants incorporated AHSA in New York in 1969 following a meeting at Federal City College. Dr. John H. Clarke was the founding AHSA President and James Turner, Leonard Jeffries, Shelby Lewis (Smith), Nicholas Enyewu and Edward Scobie were among the founding Directors of the organization.

The 1st AHSA Annual Conference was held at Howard University in 1970. The 2nd was held at Southern University (1971), and the 3rd was held at (1972).

It is important to note that AHSA successfully challenged the right of ASA to be seated as the official US delegation to the 1973 International Association of Africanists in Addis Ababa. The challenge resulted in Dr. John H. Clarke, AHSA’s President, being selected to serve as leader of a joint AHSA-ASA delegation.

Mission & Vision

Commitment to quality

The mission of AHSA is to reconstruct, represent, and promote African history and cultural study along African centered and intergenerational lines while effecting the political, social, and economic union among communities of African people the world over.

The vision of AHSA is to be the preeminent African centered organization to connect the components of our heritage as an instrument of self-awareness and liberation.

As an organization, AHSA is creating a unique African centered leadership development process for youth, community organizers and scholar-activists committed to the liberation of African people everywhere.

Video

A discussion of Black history with Professor John Henrik Clarke, about his book on great men of color from history.

AHSA is Dedicated to Change.

The African Heritage Studies Association (AHSA), proudly heralded an African-centered, African controlled professional organization committed to researching, analyzing and promoting the heritage and legacy of Africans in Africa and across the Diaspora.

The best and brightest African-centered scholars and activists have participated in annual AHSA conferences and have informed and inspired a generation of scholars who now take for granted African-centered scholarship and the place of Africa’s heritage and legacy in world history.

OUR LEADERSHIP

Meet Our Executive Committee

Over the past four decades, AHSA has played a major role in promoting the heritage of African peoples through scholarly research, influencing US policy towards Africa, educational and cultural activities around the globe. The best and brightest African scholar/activists from have participated in AHSA annual conferences and are committed to renewing AHSA’s quest goal of igniting an African Renaissance.

Darlita Moyé

President

president@ahsa50.org

J. Vern Cromartie

Vice President

vp@ahsa50.org

Angela Wimes

Secretary General

ahsainfo@ahsa50.org

Perry Lewis

Treasurer

treasurer@ahsa50.org

Past Presidents

1969-1972, John Henrik Clarke

1972-1976, James Turner

1976-1980, Ronald Walters

1980-1982, Leonard Jeffries

1982-1984, James Turner

1985-1989, W. Ofuatey-Kodjoe

1985-1989, Charlotte “Charshee” McIntyre

1992-1996, William “Nick” Nelson, Jr.

1996-1999, LaVerne Gyant

1999-2002, Leslie Alexander

2002-2006, Abdul Nanji

2013-2016, Shelby F. Lewis

2016-2018, Lisa Aubrey

2018-2021, Ife Williams

Board Members

J. Vern Cromartie

William Dorsey

Sheila Flemming-Hunter

Bettina Gardner

LaVerne Gyant

Leonard Jeffries

Shelby Lewis

Darlita Moyé

Abdul Nanji

Latonia Thompson

Gayle Watts

Ife Williams

Tributes

We pay tribute and give thanks to those who fought for Black History and culture. Their commitments and legacies will not be forgotten. The African Heritage Studies Association is grateful and honored to celebrate them.

Legacy Alter

We pay tribute and give thanks to those who fought for Black History and culture. Their commitments and legacies will not be forgotten. The African Heritage Studies Association is grateful and honored to celebrate them.

Dr. Maya Angelou

The African Heritage Studies Association is honored to pay tribute to the life and legacy of our dear sister, Dr. Maya Angelou, a national treasure, much loved, respected and mourned by people around the world.

Dr. Vincent Harding

At various times and in various ways, Dr. Vincent Harding has made extraordinary contributions to the reconstruction of Black history and culture. The African Heritage Studies Association (AHSA) is honored to pay tribute to his life and works.

Larry “Obadele” Williams

Larry “Obadele” Williams was committed to the deconstruction, reclamation, and celebration of African history and culture. The African Heritage Studies Association (AHSA) pays tribute to his life and works.

Supporting exploration, education, and preservation.

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