Will Africa, be included as part of the global community at Whittier college?
At Whittier College, the quest for personal growth and self-empowerment has always been a primary motivation for attending our small close-knit liberal arts institution. In our Mission and vision statement, we the students faculty, and Administrators pride ourselves in our humble Quaker origins and the importance of social responsibility. As Written on our mission and vision statement, at Whittier College aims to provide students of various backgrounds and ethnic and cultural origins the opportunity to:
“Learn to make connections across disciplines, understand cultural perspectives, and integrate learning with practical application.” and to “explore their role in the global community”
sadly it seems , for the next year at least, the only course that offers an extensive survey of the political economic, legal, geographic and social phenomenas in contemporary Africa has not only be been canceled but its re-institution has been apparently been classified as negligible. Not only does it violate Whittier College’s Vision and mission to teach to students how to make connections across disciplines, understand cultural perspectives, it also robs Students the opportunity to see Africa as part of the global community. The already scarce number of courses on the African American, African, and Afro-Caribbean world is dwindling and with it a rich and vast knowledge of a considerable portion of the world.
We begin with a conversation I had with Professor John Neu around the end of the fall semester on the sidewalk between the Wardman library and Diehl Hall. After exchanging some greetings and upon inquiring about the African political systems class which i had previously taken and from which had i gained great insight on Africa, professor Neu informed me that African political systems will no longer offered at Whittier College because he has been asked to retire earlier the originally planned and there was no faculty on staff qualified to teach the course. The immediate concerns professor Neu raised was about the students. He was worried about how students will cope with the cancellation of the African political systems, Constitutional law, Criminal law, International law among others. Professor also expressed his concern for lost exposure to contemporary Africa, given the already small amount of courses on African American or African studies at Whittier College.
Inspired by the African principle of Nia (Swahili), which is to be of service to or on the behalf of one’s family, school, and or community, and considering our humble Quaker heritage to be an active citizen i aimed to voice the concern at the Lunch with the president and deans meeting at Ettinger Student Lounge last fall on December 1st.
During the last week of Fall semester some conversation with African American brothers over the lack of exposure to African, African American and Afro-Caribbean history culture and philosophy at Whittier college. The primary concern raised was how the materials in the majority of their classes did not to relate to either African nor African-American culture, history or philosophy.
Two basic questions resulted,
How will Whittier College students learn about Africa?
Why are there so few classes on African, African American and Afro-Caribbean history culture and philosophy at Whittier College?
The first answer came at the Ettinger Student Lounge last fall on December 1st. The general response by the President and dean of Faculty was a mere confirmation of Professor John Neu’s retirement. Sadly, neither the implications of the courses cancellation, the declining exposure to Africa, nor its marginalizing effects on the few African or black students attending Whittier college discussed.
The lack of clarity in the responses coupled with my stubborn spirit prompted the desire to follow the story and prompted this video interview:
Professor Mike McBride; Chair of Faculty, and Joel Lopez; Dean of Students, and a few African-American students were asked questions asked about the curriculum at Whittier College. A number of law courses as well as the African Political Systems course has been discontinued for at least a year which further weakens the already weak exposure to Africa and African American Politics, philosophy, economics and History at Whittier College. This video is preliminary Step to understanding the state of African American Studies and African Studies at Whittier College.
The already small number of courses offered on the Pan-African World at Whittier College is declining in spite of the rising global economic and political influence of Africa. Despite the historical and cultural disconnect with Africa, today, African-American students at Whittier College are beginning to reconnect with their African roots and seek greater knowledge in order to contribute to the African Diaspora of the World. Classes offered on the Pan-African world in general (which is inclusive African Americans, Africans in Latin America and the Caribbean, Afro-Europeans, and Afro-Asiatic, and Africans on the African continent) are already scarce and diminishing. The Faculty Chair pointed out that attendance of the course on African political systems was already low however neglecting to include the African or Pan-African world in the curriculum only exacerbated the marginalization Africa and its place in the world. Furthermore, it robs student’s exposure to a complete and concise picture of the World which is an important part of a liberal arts education. Especially at a time of racial tension at the college campuses in the United States, and at a time of tension between the global black and African community over police abuses and Mass-incarceration of African-Americans in the United States, I believe Whittier College is moving in the wrong direction. Our Abolitionist Roots and love of Justice, the Quaker quest for knowledge and personal growth needs to remain at the center of the vision and mission of our great college.
Professors Nue’s earlier than planned retirement, is going to impact Students the most. Essentially, the cancellation of African political systems denies International African student, Afro-Caribbean, and the many among the 5.7 percent of blacks or Africans Americans that attend Whittier College and who identify with their African origins, the opportunity to learn and contribute to the ongoing development of Africa and the Pan-African vision of unity and progress.