CAS Newsletter 19-20

the center
for african
studies
energy
2019 – 2020 newsletter
volume 7
hope
oasis
connection

This newsletter
is dedicated to
Norah Borus,
who loved our
community
with her
whole heart.
At CAS
I love
and I
am loved
~ Norah B.
1

DIRECTOR’S NOTE
These are difficult times.
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has of course been a
challenge for the whole world. Like other academic programs, at
Stanford and beyond, CAS has been abruptly confronted with a
distressing and disrupting set of new conditions and uncertainties.
All of our normal academic activities, as well as the face-toface
social relations that normally sustain our community, have
been suspended or put into question, creating intractable
problems for many of us, especially our many international
students. But our CAS community has risen to meet the challenges
posed by COVID’s disruptions. In spite of the unexpected
complications and disturbances of the last few months, I can
report that this past year has been a time of formidable transformation,
growth, and accomplishment for the Center.
We began the year with a physical move, transplanting the whole
CAS operation to our new space in Encina Commons. Such a
transition is hard for any organization, and I am very grateful to
CAS staff, students, and faculty for the cooperation and positive
attitude that made the move such a success. Now that we are
settled in, the new space has come to life, and it is clear that it will
be a warm and nurturing home for the vibrant community life
that has long been the hallmark of the CAS experience.
One of the most painful features of the COVID-19 attack on our
way of life has been its power to undermine relations of human
attachment and community by rendering dangerous the
physical proximity that we used to take for granted. But in
the face of this attack, our CAS community has been
resilient and quick to adapt. Under the inspired
leadership of Associate Director Laura Hubbard,
CAS has managed to offer a continuing flow of
virtual events that have kept our community
energy alive, events that have in
recent weeks included a virtual
photo exhibit, a series in honor of
African languages, and two
events dedicated to a
virtual celebration of
our CAS seniors.
We are also
enormously energized
and excited by a
stunning set of recent
faculty appointments, which
gives our program tremendous
new momentum and a sense of
possibilities for the years to come. In just
the last couple of years, we have added
Gabrielle Hecht and Joel Cabrita in history,
while in comparative literature, our own
Fatoumata Seck triumphantly returns to us in a
faculty role, after receiving her Ph.D. here at Stanford in
2016. Meanwhile, in the Department of English, we are
proud to have added Ato Quayson — not only a stellar scholar
but an acknowledged national and international leader of the
African Studies field, as shown most recently in his election as
President of the African Studies Association. And most recently
the good news continues, as we are joined by Sarah Derbew,
taking up a new assistant professor position in classics..
Finally, this year marks the end of my three-year term as Director
of the Center. I am grateful to all the help I have gotten in
fulfilling this role — from students, from faculty, and especially
from the terrific CAS staff, who have made the job a real pleasure.
Going forward, I feel entirely confident in CAS’s future, as I
will be leaving it in the best of hands: I am delighted to be able to
announce that Joel Cabrita has agreed to serve as the new
Director of the Center. I know she will do a terrific job, and I
am very happy for both her and the Center. Looking to
the future, I can only wish her, and the whole CAS
community, every success, and more great things
in the years to come.
— Dr. James Ferguson
2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
04
05
08
02
04
05
08
Director’s Note
Student Welcome
Faculty Spotlight
CAS Visiting Scholar Turns
Hope into Action Across the
Globe
09
11
Celebrating Africa Table
CAS Graduate Students and
Funding
10
13
13
14
15
16
18
The Power of Shifting Frames
How CAS Transforms the
Student Experience
Cookin’ It Up Event Highlights
Senior Reflections
Alone, Together: Virtual CAS &
The Student Photo Exhibit
16
18
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Director
James Ferguson
Associate Director
Laura Hubbard
Program Coordinator &
Publishing Manager
Brenda Mutuma
Graphic Designer
Julie Tatsukawa
CAS Program Associates
Isi Umunna
Bethel Bayrau
Thierry Uwase
Samuel Mensah
Zoe Mhungu
Auwa Buahin
Ken Nturibi
Dumisile Mphamba
Bena Habtamu
Carolyn Asante Dartey
Arafat Mohammed
Nour Aissaoui
3

STUDENT WELCOME
BY SHIRLEY MULUMBI
The first time I stepped foot in CAS I was hungry.
I’d just missed dinner at Stern and I remembered seeing an
email about an event that had “food from the continent”.
That’s literally what I typed into my outlook search bar in order
to get the address, Encina Commons. Funny enough, there was
food at CAS for my first Frames class. Pizza and wings. I
remember looking around and seeing that most of the students
were black. I heard a few accents that I didn’t recognize,
but the fact that I’d actually heard someone other than me
speak in an accent excited me. Before that moment I had never
thought about how much of a toil such small things took on
me, and how comforting it was to realize that I had less parts of
myself to be conscious about in this class.
The most magical moment for me, however, happened at the
end of that class. At 8:30, I expected everyone to stand up and
leave, and maybe for the few people who knew each other to
huddle up and start talking amongst themselves. Everyone did
immediately get up, but for completely different reasons. I saw
strangers smiling at each other, and students helping to
rearrange CAS to its original state. I saw Laura and the TA’s
joking with some of my classmates, and one of the TAs even
came up to me to strike a conversation. I’d never experienced
such care from strangers, so I had my guard up the whole time.
After this first lesson came an avalanche of CAS. I found myself
sticking around after every class, just to listen to the Afrobeats
playing on the TV or to socialize and meet new people. I didn’t
know that CAS had student staff, but whenever I’d walk in,
there was always someone saying hi to me, asking me how my
day was. The CAS photoshoot was the first time I got in a
proper conversation with an upperclassman. The cookout was
the first time I engaged in a community event at Stanford,
where giving to a larger community felt more important than
how tired I was. CAS FACES helped me realize that everyone
around me had a story and things they battled with, which
made me a lot braver in the face of my own obstacles, academically
and emotionally. The talks I had with Laura Hubbard
made me start realizing who I am with all my flaws and
successes, and brought me a long way in self-love and
acceptance.
Within those four walls I got a space to be myself and a
community that cared more for me than I could ever know. I
got friends that love and inspire me…I got a family, I got love.
CAS is the spirit of selflessness that lives inside everyone who
has walked in and sat on those couches, and even in those who
haven’t yet been to Encina Commons but are destined to be
there. CAS is the nights we spent crying together, and the
victories we celebrated as if they were our own. CAS is family,
and I invite you all to genuinely and vulnerably engage with this
family at least once in your time at Stanford, because I promise
you, it won’t be the last time.
4

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
CAS WISHES PROFESSOR
JOEL SAMOFF A HAPPY
RETIREMENT
BY NESRINE MBAREK
To the professor who guided me through a new
way of understanding interlocked dynamics,
between immigration, colonialism, feminism, &
education
To the adviser who listened to an overwhelmed
discouraged freshman, offering unwavering support
and encouragement
To the mentor who rigorously taught me to challenge
power & the global order, to serve my community & make
more people live in dignity
To the friend of my family & my country. To my friend
My deepest respect, gratitude, & admiration to you, Joel.
CAS WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR, JOEL CABRITA
BY CHEPCHIRCHIR TIROP
Professor Joel Cabrita joined the CAS family in 2018 as a professor of African
history. Prior to joining Stanford, she taught at the University of Cambridge and
SOAS (University of London). Her research is at the intersection of gender,
religion, and media in sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently working on a
biography of Regina Twala (1908-1968), a feminist and political activist from
her home country of Eswatini.
But Cabrita brings more than intellectual expertise to CAS. She is passionate
about community and providing a platform for scholars to exchange
ideas and build relationships. I had the pleasure of working closely with
her in planning a conference on religion and media in Africa in winter
2020. I was inspired by her meticulous planning and her intentionality
in drafting the program. Even when the conference was drastically
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Cabrita
quickly adapted to the situation, ultimately hosting a different
version of the event. It is this kind of innovative spirit and
flexibility that Professor Cabrita brings to the classroom and
in her advising. She cares about students’ interests and
helps them communicate their ideas, always centering
their humanity. I am excited to continue working with her.
5

DR. SECK’S REFLECTIVE RETURN TO STANFORD
Dr. Fatoumata Seck is not only a CAS alumna, but one of
Stanford’s newest faculty members in interdisciplinary
studies. Specializing in francophone African and Caribbean
studies with an emphasis on cultural, economic, and
diaspora studies, her research brings together literary
criticism, anthropological theory, and various approaches to
materialism to investigate the impact of economic thought
and process in Senegalese works of fiction. “I work on
culture and political economy. I look at a writer’s commentary
on economic transformation in post-colonial Senegal:
what really happened and then what writers thought about
what happened. These writers developed very interesting
aesthetic strategies that I’m articulating in my work, trying to
understand how those strategies help us better understand
the complex transformation their society underwent,” she
said. When asked about how she arrived at such a topic, she
spoke about CAS’ influence. “If it wasn’t for the interdisciplinary
environment that CAS fostered, I don’t think I would’ve
arrived at this idea. CAS has this great environment where
students from different disciplines can sit together and think
about life, history, or really anything regarding Africa… and
when you have so many different perspectives around the
‘same thing’ and you learn what each discipline could bring
to the table…it’s literally what inspired me to start working
on this project.”
Dr. Seck went on to become a Susan Ford Dorsey Fellow,
traveling to Senegal to conduct her research, and later
landing a professorship at the City University of New York.
Despite her success abroad, however, she did miss what she
discovered at Stanford. “When I saw an opening in my field at
Stanford, I couldn’t resist. Since I’m working with so many
disciplines, it’s very important to have a campus where I can
go from anthropology, to literature, to cultural studies, back
to linguistics and so forth. The creativity and the spirit of
innovation in this area is contagious. On top of that, CAS is
that one place where people can actually convene, sit down,
and really spend quality time together, not just time to sit in
your corner, but time to have an exchange. One day I’m
talking to students from engineering and computer science,
and the next, history, literature, and linguistics. It’s a great
microcosm for students and faculty members alike. This
environment was very conducive to the making of my
research project a few years ago, so it’s exciting to come
back as I’m in the midst of turning it into a book.”
Literature Cultures and Languages (DLCL) and the Center
for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE),
she embraces the ways CAS will continue to support
her work. “It’s exciting to be back at CAS—not just a
community, but an intellectual community as well.
There are informal gatherings, where you can just
sit down and have a cup of tea to talk about life,
but also formal ones where we have our own
intellectual inquiries answered and engaged
with. It’s a place where you don’t just go for a
conference, you go to hear what people are
interested in, what people are thinking
about these days, to check the pulse of
the undergraduate population on
campus.
“We should definitely find ways to
grow and keep the program alive
because it is so important for this
place to exist inside the university.
Especially in the current
climate, it’s good to have a
center where people feel
comfortable speaking,
learning, and sharing,
where students have
physical, intellectual,
and emotional space
to exist on campus.”
Dr. Seck’s classes cut across various geographical areas and
linguistic traditions (Wolof, French, English, Spanish and
Portuguese) informed by critical theory on race, gender,
and ethnicity. While teaching in Stanford’s Division of
6

CAS VISITING SCHOLAR
TURNS HOPE INTO ACTION
ACROSS THE GLOBE
In April of 2019, visiting scholar and Ugandan human rights
attorney Nicholas Opiyo delivered a keynote address that left
Stanford Global Studies students, staff, and faculty inspired.
Speaking on what it means to do good work under an autocratic
government, Opiyo demonstrated ways to keep hope alive in
times of darkness.
Raised in northern Uganda at the height of the brutal conflict
between the government and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance
Army (LRA), Opiyo was surrounded by senseless violence,
watching the rights of his family and community members
violated at the hands of the rebel group and the Ugandan
government. “Living in a warzone meant that I was a witness to
grave cases of human rights violations. My own siblings were
abducted and spent years in the rebel ranks,” he shared.
The war introduced gruesome murder, sex trafficking, and mass
displacement across his community. “During the war, there were
what was called ‘night commuters,’ young children who walked
more than five miles every day to sleep in open public spaces to
avoid being abducted by the LRA. For many years, I was a night
commuter. Like all children at the time in the region, I lived trying
to avoid abduction by the rebel group while also trying to study
and compete with children in other parts of the country where it
was peaceful.”
Despite his harsh environment, Opiyo found hope as he was
introduced to a world outside of Uganda through the radio. “My
father’s way of teaching me English was to make me listen to the
BBC. When I listened to the radio, the things I heard happening
in other parts of the world were quite different from my lived
experiences. That sent me on a journey to search for what I could
do to make my life better.” Initially wanting to be a journalist, he
later found a trade that promised more than just the hope of
being heard: law.
“I found myself gravitating toward law school,” he explained, “I
had the resolve that I should use my law degree and my skills as
a lawyer to defend the rights of vulnerable people in my country.”
And over a 15-year period, Opiyo grew to be that person,
becoming an attorney, and founding Chapter Four Uganda, a
human rights organization that provides legal services for social
media activists, members of the LGBTQ community, and
Ugandans facing persecution. His tireless efforts for freedom
and justice helped his organization play key roles in successfully
challenging Uganda’s notorious Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2014,
and initiating laws that criminalized torture.
Encouraging the use of collaborative, non-violent, and honest
civic participation, he sees hope for the future of Uganda. “In this
broken system, there are moments of brightness…individuals in
the system that will do what is right, sometimes at a huge
expense…they keep me going.” He explained that regardless of
the tumultuous nature of politics in Uganda, “we still see the four
walls of the courthouse…as a springboard of what we can do for
this country.”
7
At Stanford, Opiyo continues to conduct his research on the
impact of foreign funding in Uganda and the reform of criminal
justice methods by government officials against the LGBTI
community, letting students know that they are equally capable
of creating more promising futures for others across the globe. “I
would like to show the interconnectedness of our struggles and
to inspire the community and students to use their privileged
positions in the Silicon Valley to impact lives around the world,
perhaps in much the same way that I am trying to do.”

FOR THE LOVE OF LANGUAGE
Every May CAS holds an African Languages and Cultures
Night, celebrating the selection African languages taught
on campus, from Amharic to Zulu. Additional languages
such as Hausa,Tigrigna, Igbo, Zulu, Kinyarwanda, and
Swahili are also offered upon request.
Normally, Stanford students taking African language
courses gather to perform in front of an audience with
over 100 attendees, for our annual African Languages
and Cultures Night. This year, however, CAS celebrated
virtually, creating a e-Zine of the community’s favorite
songs, stories and works from the continent. Visit the
CAS website to check out the catalogues!
“Twi gave me a new family at Stanford. It also
gave me the chance to meet Professor
Nkansah who taught me a lot of History
about Twi. I believe Twi can help my
conversations with strangers in the future,
because language unites people. I intend
to take many more Twi classes at
Stanford.”
— Clinton Kwarteng
8

AFRICA TABLE SPOTLIGHTS
Africa Table is a dynamic weekly series that has been a part of CAS culture for over 30 years. Attracting hundreds of participants each
year, Africa Table connects CAS students, alumni, and the surrounding Stanford community to high-ranking officials and experts in their
fields of study as they highlight the academic, political, and social issues of the continent. This year, John Knight Fellow Monturayo Alaka
and a history Ph.D. candidate Liz Jacob gifted Africa Table with their works. Here are some of their views on presenting at Africa Table.
HOW DO WE REPORT AFRICA UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS?
Motunrayo Alaka began her Africa Table
presentation with this question, amidst what
she referred to as a ‘30-year notice.’
Explaining that the continent would reach a
population of 4 billion by 2020, Alaka tied the
wealth, infrastructural development, and
overall success of the continent to how
strategically the media collaborated with
civil society to attain true democracy. “The
implementation of law, and the state of
dignity or indignity for the African person is
often determined by politics. Politics
determines policy directions that drive a
country’s quality of education, health,
agriculture, technology, economy, security
and more.” With Nigeria’s general election in
2019, with the lowest participation rate the
country has ever seen, Alaka argues that “the
media is positioned as the lead agent
of change,” being the potential
watchdog of government against
mistrust by the people. “Journalism
is central to democracy. A strong,
independent media is an instrument
of transparency and accountability
and a critical lever for combating
corruption, human rights abuses,
and regulatory failures at all levels.”
In September, Alaka started Report
Until Something Happens (RUSH,) an
initiative that calls for reporting on
an issue until it generates public
interest, putting the government and
other authorities under pressure to
respond. Already the CEO of Wole
Soyinka Centre for Investigative
Journalism in Nigeria, she plans to
use her platform and to continue
building her vast network of journalists
to foster an in-depth, issue-focused,
facts-based media strategy
enabled by story follow-up advocacy,
continuous engagement, social
media, and technology. “I am open
to collaborations across disciplines
and borderlines that seek to solve
the challenges on the African
continent and ensure that the
people’s rights are upheld.”
AFRICA TABLE FAVORITES
Kenyan Feminisms in the Digital Age
Nanjala Nyabola
March 6, 2019
9
Who Gets In and Why? Race, Class, and
Aspiration in South Africa’s
Elite Schools
Dr. Jonathan Jansen & Samantha Kriger
April 17, 2019
How does Social Change Happen?
Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro
May 8, 2019

SEXUAL INSULT AND FEMALE MILITANCY IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Liz Jacob gave an incredible presentation on the Adjanou, a female militancy ritual
of the Baule women in Côte d’Ivoire. “In times of crisis, women strip naked, coat
themselves in kaolin clay, and sing and dance to exorcize malevolent spirits from
their communities. Gesturing to their genitals as they pound their pestles into the
ground, they point unambiguously to the source of their spiritual power: their
status as mothers,” she shared. Jacob explained that, over the course of the 20th
century, these women drew on their maternal moral authority in moments of social
crisis to affect change in their communities. “Because they are bringers of life, these
women remind wrongdoers that they also have the power to take it away. From a
disrespectful husband to an unscrupulous government administration, no one is
immune to women’s rebuke.”
Jacob’s research revealed how the Adjanou has equipped Baule women with a
unique, enduring language that often translates into public action, despite the ways
it has become endangered over time. “Dancers of Adjanou are not absent from
Ivoirian politics today. Already, party officials have solicited them to pledge their
support to the PDCI’s 2020 electoral campaign. Communities throughout Côte
d’Ivoire continue to fear and revere the spiritual power of Adjanou. But while
Adjanou is a vital performance of women’s authority, it is important to avoid
romanticizing women’s bodies as sites of power. With conversion to Christianity,
the practice of Adjanou has become increasingly rare. Though not hostile to the
practice, many view it as the domain of their grandmothers and choose not to
engage in the ritual. Does this mean that women have relinquished their claim to
political and moral authority in their communities? Of course not. For many Ivoirian
women today, ‘traditional’ practices like Adjanou exist along a spectrum that also
includes ‘modern’ modes of public critique like party politics and grassroots
organizing.”
When asked about her experience presenting at Africa Table and being a part of the
CAS community, she praised the way community members engage her work.
“Those who attended my talk asked thoughtful, yet rigorous questions. It feels
good to be pushed to think more critically by a community of people who genuinely
care about you and want your research to be the best it can be.” Hoping to
share her knowledge teaching history at a university after completing her doctorate,
she is grateful for the direction CAS has taken her work. “Research doesn’t
happen in a vacuum. The materials I’ve gathered on lonely days at the archive only
take on meaning when shared with friends and colleagues. When discussed with a
fellow Africanist over coffee, a one-off archival curiosity can transform into the
basis of an article or dissertation chapter. CAS creates the social world that fuels
my intellectual life. My work wouldn’t exist without it.”
Facebook’s Free Basics and Digital
Civil Society in Africa
Dr. Toussaint Nothias
May 29, 2019
Catastrophizing Politics and
Revolutionary Movements: A View
from Algeria
Dr. Thomas Serres
January 29, 2020
Namibia: A Success Story of a
Developing Nation
Justice Hosea Angula
February 12, 2020
10

CAS GRADUATE STUDENTS AND FUNDING
Anna Kimmel
Research and Language
Fellowship (2019)
Location: Algiers, Algeria
Wallace Teska
Research and Language
Fellowship (2019)
Dakar, Senegal
Jitka Hiscox
Research and Language
Fellowship (2019)
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Nic Lyons
Research and Language
Fellowship (2019)
Location:Nairobi, Kenya
Liz Jacob
Susan Ford Dorsey (2019)
Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Eric Brubaker
Research and Language
Fellowship (2018)
Location: Arusha, Tanzania
Latifah Hamzah
Research and Language
Fellowship (2020)
Location: Kumasi, Ghana
Abisola Kusimo
Research and Language
Fellowship (2019
Location: Accra, Ghana
Stefania Manfio
Research and Language
Fellowship (2019)
Location: Mauritius
Jasmine Reid
Research and Language
Fellowship (2018)
Location: Johannesburg,
South Africa
Josheena Naggea
Research and Language
Fellowship (2018)
Location: Mauritius and
Rodrigues
11

KRISTEN WILSON
Thanks to the generous Ford Dorsey grant and the supportive infrastructure at CAS,
I have been able to make great strides with the dissertation process. My project,
“Defining The Yorùbá Body: Articulating The Practice Of Egbogi As Embodied
Epistemology” interrogates materiality and the power dynamics inherent to
wellbeing especially as they pertain to social relations. So far, I have been able to
clearly elucidate indigenous notions of embodiment with respect to the eminence
ascribed to balance within Yorùbá cosmology. Additionally, despite the uncertainty
with continuing my research funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been
motivated to organize COVID-19 relief efforts for the worst afflicted communities
here in Nigeria where I was doing field research.
The reality is that, in practice, indigenous therapeutic strategies still occupy a niche
role within many communities around the world, even if their potential benefits for
public welfare and the healthcare industry have yet to be realized responsibly and
strategically. Traditional therapeutic practices are not reducible to the sum of their
parts because strategies of care are nurtured in communities and embedded in
individual psyches in ways that invalidate racialized and/or colonial histories. This
work takes indigenous therapeutic strategies seriously, making clear what they have
to offer those who wish to provide care successfully to the whole human being.
OSEI BOAKYE
I don’t think I can express in enough words how pivotal of a role
CAS played in the formulation of my dissertation, both in terms of
financial and emotional support. CAS asked of me not what I
knew of Africa but what I wanted the rest of the world to know
about the continent; and to that end, it admirably provided me
the tools and space to provide an answer to that question. CAS is
the window that many at Stanford get to view Africa, and for that I
am proud to be forever affiliated with this awesome institution.
I’m a historian and I did my field research in Ghana. My dissertation
is titled “Beggard Nation: An Economic History of Ghana,
1946-1976.” As for what I hope the reader gets? I hope the reader
takes away the notion that the current state of affairs in Africa is
directly linked to its colonial legacy but at the same time, the
actors are more diverse than most imagine.
AFRICAN STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS
Susan Ford Dorsey Fellowship for Field Research in Africa
The African Service Fellowship
The Summer Research and Language Fellowship
12

THE POWER OF SHIFTING FRAMES
“Frames is a novelty and
necessity in the current
campus and global
climate, as it centers
topics and questions that
students are interested in.
This kind of student-
driven, peer learning cuts
across all majors and
classes, centering voices
often at the periphery.”
— Isi Umunna
Shifting Frames (AFRICAST 195)
is a student driven, dialogue
based, and intellectual community-focused
course, exploring
and challenging the taken-forgranted
framing of key African
issues and debates. “Frames is
an experience and a hope,”
explains Dr. Laura Hubbard,
Associate Director of CAS, “a
possibility of rethinking how
voice and representation work in
the learning environment.” A rare
gem in the thousands of courses
at Stanford, Shifting Frames
“shows that it is completely
possible for folks to learn to
de-center their voices or to bring
their voices forward and to feel
like they are learning, and in a
genuine environment.”
“Frames allow us to build a
strong community that lasts
beyond Stanford. It is an
important space that brings
African-centered voices from
various backgrounds. It might be
the only space where folks in
different academic disciplines
with a common interest in the
continent meet to rekindle their
fire and interests while exchanging
knowledge at the same time.”
— Thierry Uwase
13

HOW CAS TRANSFORMS THE
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
BY DUMISILE MPHAMBA
In Fall quarter of freshman year, I had no friends. I didn’t
understand any of my frosh dorm-mates’ pop culture
references. And I hated dining hall food. On a Wednesday
morning in November, I woke up to news that my hometown
was flooded with military tanks. Zimbabwe was
experiencing a coup d’etat. I was terrified about what
would happen to my family. I remember being too
distraught to attend my math lecture and I barely
made it to PWR that day. Eventually, I realized I
needed to talk to someone.
After ruling out my American RAs and dreading
the long wait time at CAPS, I remembered how
Zimbabwean seniors at Stanford had told me
about a place called the Center for African
Studies. I sent the center an email to say I
needed to talk to someone and, figuring
that it would take too long to get a response, I marched over to Encina Commons. The distress
on my face must have been obvious because, from the moment I walked into the door, Ariane,
Isi and Valdes (all staff members at CAS) welcomed me and I collapsed into a puddle of tears
in their arms. That is how I discovered CAS - and it was the first time I’d felt at home since
coming to Stanford.
Since then, I have worked as a student programs assistant at CAS, and it has transformed
my Stanford experience. Through working with Laura and the student staff, I
see how the team commits to identifying community needs, sharing innovative event
ideas, and laboring to make our dream of a healthy CAS community a reality. From
large events like the photo shoot and cooking event to smaller ones like Faces of
the African Community and kickbacks every few weeks, I see the power of
opening space for people to forge relationships and find a sense of home with
each other. I remember being especially touched when I learned of the
long-standing Frosh Care Packages tradition in CAS. The week before finals,
upperclassmen package personalized notes of encouragement and jars of
treats, and deliver them to every single CAS frosh. Being African and/or an
international student at Stanford can be an incredibly isolating experience;
CAS works to provide a support network for each person to thrive
and feel like they belong.
I was recently struck by the realization of how deep the CAS community
runs. The staff tirelessly organized a virtual photo exhibit in lieu
of the usual in-person event. At the end, people lingered on the
Zoom call for almost an hour to talk about how CAS was the first
place at Stanford that made them feel seen. I was transported
back to that day in 2017 when I first discovered CAS - the place
that has now become my rock and the anchor for many other
students like me at Stanford. In CAS, I and many others find
nourishing for our mental health, sharpening of our
intellectual vitality, and celebration of our full selves.
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COOKIN’ IT UP EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
At this year’s annual CAS X SASA Cooking Event, Cookin’ It Up, nearly 200 students, parents and Stanford community members
gathered to cook and share their favorite meals together. With good food, prepared in the presence of warm company and great
music, this event succeeded in capturing what a hub CAS is for learning, sharing, and support.
“To me, the cooking event is a communal endeavor in
love where we all come together in kitchens to cut,
chop, boil, fry and clean together. I love Ghanaian
food, and it gives me joy to introduce other people to
some of the dishes (they are spicy!) It is always a
refreshing time in the community as we laugh and
dance to booming music across the kitchens and hug
each other as we stand in line to get food.”
— Samuel Mensah
“The cooking event is one of the most
beautiful times of the year when I see and
feel how embracing everyone in our
community is. From putting hearts into their
dishes, to keeping the kitchen on fire with
dance moves, to helping each other out in
whatever we need, everyone plays a part in
making every minute of the cooking event
magical. This event not only brings us all
together to have fun cooking and feasting on
beautiful delicious food from all over the
continent but also gives us an opportunity to
get to know and celebrate each other on a
deeper level.”
— Bethel Bayrau
15

SENIOR REFLECTIONS
“CAS gives space for me to shift my perspective
by hearing others’ stories. Laughing over
delicious food, dancing along with music videos,
and discussing current events all serve a vital
education: how to embrace your unapologetic
self. The full depth of who your identity—your
culture, interests, and history—are welcomed.”
-Zoe Mhungu
“The CAS family created a space where I could
be my whole self. Being totally authentic
helped me deepen my understanding of the
world, challenged why I believe in hope, and
taught me how to have a genuinely good time.
As a wholly welcoming space, CAS helped me
grow in ways I didn’t know I needed.”
-Chielo Mbaezue
“CAS has been the core of my life at Stanford. My
best laugh was at CAS, my best friends and fans
were at CAS, or if not, I pulled them there. The
best jams I listened to in my four years were at
CAS and my best job was at CAS. I will never
forget the spontaneous but well planned
kickbacks CAS did for us in week five when
midterm fever was kicking in. CAS is so
wholesome!”
-Ken Nturibi
16

ALONE,
TOGETHER:
VIRTUAL CAS &
THE STUDENT
PHOTO EXHIBIT
By Laura Hubbard
Photography by Arafat Mohammed
Every year since its 50th anniversary,
CAS has gathered together for a portrait
exhibition. The unveiling of the CAS
family portraits—images taken of
community members with words written
across their bodies declaring what CAS
means to each of them—is a longstanding
tradition. This year’s exhibit, called
Home: CAS Connected. CAS Unwavering,
shifted online in the wake of the coronavirus
pandemic.
Images emphasized the connectedness
and unwavering spirit of the CAS community,
despite a global pandemic that left
students, faculty, and staff scattered
across the world. And as the day for the
exhibit approached, the murders of
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and
countless others inspired grief and anger.
On May 31, the CAS community gathered
together virtually to view the photos,
which were organized into four categories:
Oasis, Energy, Hub, and Family. We
sought to share back to one another the
endless power and never-yielding love
that is captured in each frame.
The theme song of the exhibit,
“Brighter Days” by Sauti Sol, played
as the images flashed across the
screen. Student poets and writers
Ayoade Balogun, Josh Nkoy, and
Cynthia Mchechu read original
pieces written to celebrate and
empower the CAS community.
Together through an open mic,
students also reflected on the
meaning of CAS in these uncertain
times. Words of gratitude were
offered up for the CAS family, “where
being seen fully, supported, and
able to be unapologetically whole is
possible.” As the photo of Roxane
Somda declares, CAS is a space
where “it’s all about us, not me.”
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“Coming to Stanford, one of the things
that struck me the most was CAS; the
people and the programming that
created the magic of the African
community. I always admired the
photos on the wall, and could not wait
till I experienced a Photo Reveal of my
own. Unfortunately, we could not be
together to share that experience, but
CAS ensured that the community was
not broken up by the physical distances
between us. We hosted weekend
hangouts, and put together the best
virtual Photo Reveal and Senior
Celebrations within our ability, and
watched as the community continued to
bond over our screens. I could not have
been happier to see the joy and
togetherness that the work we did on
the Photo Reveal brought to the
community.”
— Carolyn Asante Dartey
18