op-ed A call for Africana Studies

Author: Abigail Opoku-Agyemang


My name is Abigail Opoku-Agyemang. I am a first-year student at Middlebury. I was born in Ghana and my family moved here when I was younger. When I was applying to colleges, Middlebury stood out to me as a school that was not only excellent but also diverse. Middlebury is a school diverse in both culture and education. If schools were presently being added to the Ivy League list, there is no doubt that Middlebury College would be among them. Middlebury has qualified teachers, exceptional resources and exemplary students. What Middlebury does not have is an Africana Studies Department. How can a school, ranked among the best, be lacking a department focused on the second largest continent in the world?

When the explorers set out to find new land, some came to the Americas. When they needed workers to develop their land, they went to Africa to get workers. They exploited the people, as well as their land, in order to further their personal agendas. The United States was partly built on the sweat and tears of slaves, the majority of whom came from Africa. The world had essentially turned its back on Africans. Don't you think its time to do something?

Education has become a business now. You need to remember why you accepted your initial position at Middlebury. You wanted to make a difference in molding the youth for the real world. You wanted a hand in helping the youth change the world for the better. The business of educating is priceless. You cannot look to finances or comfort level when deciding how to educate your students. You cannot deny students the chance to be educated about Africa and still say those students are well-rounded in their education.

The most troubling disease in the world is most prevalent in Africa. The combined wars in Africa outweigh, perhaps, those in the rest of the world. Modern genocide can be found in Africa. The only country to have two Secretary-Generals of the UN is in Africa. If you are studying political science, Africa is a great case study. If you are pre-med and researching illnesses, Africa is an important place, with thousands of people dying each year from HIV and tuberculosis. If you were studying economics, the situation in Zimbabwe would be of great interest to you, as its inflation rate continues to rise. Africa is a place with countries so crucial to the various existing departments at Middlebury, but you are doing over 748 million people a disservice. A disservice they do not deserve.

Right now the world is criticizing China's involvement in Sudan. With an Africana Studies Department, not only would students learn about Africa and the spread of its culture (i.e. to Brazil), but they would also be made aware of the current situations of African countries. This would not cost you a lot. Middlebury is an exceptional institution, so it is not surprising that the courses that would be encompassed in the Africana Studies Department already exist. With the availability of resources as well as willing and qualified professors on campus, there is no valid reason for the denial of this department. It would perhaps take the hiring of two additional staff members. I know that money is important. But our knowledge is more important. In order for us to be fully equipped and be on the level of Williams, Harvard, Dartmouth, Wesleyan and various other schools like Middlebury, we need this department. We are behind. You can expand the campus, make Proctor nice and build the town a bridge for nine million dollars. Getting this department would not cost nearly as much as those endeavors. We would rather have no bridge and the campus remains the same if it means getting the education we were promised upon arrival at Middlebury. Besides, economically speaking, the more you educate us, the better our future careers and the more Middlebury will be able to grow its endowment. That is, if you care more about money than about us, the students.

Abigail Opoku-Agyemang '11 is from Bronx, N.Y.