Bright Spots in African Studies

Abstract

In my March 2023 editorial (https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2023.14), I acknowledged some of the lingering problems in the field of African Studies, notably the challenges facing the study of Africa in the western hemisphere. Indeed, the mention of African Studies quickly recalls these challenges in many circles. But as gloomy as the discussions can be, amazing work is happening all around that indicates significant progress. Recognizing these developments does not imply perfection. The work of field recalibration remains incomplete, and the epistemological goal must always be to take Africans seriously as knowledge producers, as research subjects deserving ethical treatment, and as complex human beings inhabiting complex societies. Yet it is important to account for the bright spots, appreciating the progress being made in addition to the work that remains undone. In this editorial, my second as Editor-in-Chief of ASR, I highlight some of these bright spots. I will begin with the Lagos Studies Association (LSA), the brainchild of three Nigerian historians in the United States—Saheed Aderinto (Florida International University), Abosede George (Barnard College), and Ademide Adelusi-Adeluyi (University of California, Riverside)—which has witnessed tremendous growth since its first meeting in 2016. On the approach of its 2023 conference, the association reports that at least 700 scholars and practitioners from across the world (based in 163 international and 95 Nigerian institutions) will participate in the 130 panels of LSA 2023. The LSA offers a terrific model of undertaking African studies, harnessing intellectual energy from across the world without deprivileging Nigerian-based scholars, including several emerging scholars who have credited the association with aiding their professional development. A collaboration between the LSA’s leadership and the University of Lagos (which hosts the conference every June), the LSA conference attracts senior scholars and rising scholars in different fields, from across Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond; yet its leadership has prioritizedmaking space for younger scholars to present their