“Which Way Africa?”

One group at McGill that has consistently organized educational opportunities for themselves over the years is the African Students’ Association (ASA), a group founded in 1951 and that continues to exist today as McGill African Students Association (MASS). The ASA preceded and then coexisted with the Black Students Network (BSN) at McGill. It has been a site for organizing by Black and African students, often in coalition with other students, around Black Study.  

An example of this is documented in 1965, an era immediately preceding the intense struggles over civil rights and the fight for Black life and dignity in North America, including in Montreal. Two short news stories published in the Daily three days apart show how student-led organizing in an academic group centred around “studies” helped to bring scholars to campus and fill in gaps left in a Euro-centred curriculum. 

On February 23, the Daily features a notice titled “ASA sponsors seminar on African Problems,” and three days later, on February 26, it is followed up with a story titled, “African Seminar Points the Way.” These two articles give a glimpse into this student-organized academic event which welcomed several scholars and dignitaries for a daylong discussion on February 27^th. While the title of first article refers to “African problems” as the topic of discussion, the second article uses a neutral, descriptive tone and simply refers to a “study seminar.” 

The most prominently highlighted paper in both articles is, “Africa’s Irresistible March to Economic Emancipation and Political Resurgence,” delivered by Angie Brooks. Brooks is identified in the article as the Assistant Secretary of State of Libera and as chairman of the United Nations Fourth Committee and Ruanda-Urundi Commission, as well as elected president of the International Federation of Women Lawyers. In addition to her, the names of several other panelists are mentioned in both pieces: F Kurtz, DRC Marsh, A Diakite, J Akintunde, AM Mohamed, C Moyo, and the Ghana High Commissioner to Canada. 

In thinking about this type of day-long seminar as student self-organizing in relation to curricular lacunae and the need to address topics in African and Black Studies, it should be noted that there are also social and cultural events planned. In addition to the academic papers scheduled there was a pre-seminar “traditional African Dancy party”, with music by the New York-based African Jazz Group, and “films on Africa” were shown. 

The second article is accompanied by a picture of a “Zulu dance group” who are promoted as a preview to the “Friday night shindig,” the pre-seminar event planned by the ASA. These articles show not only the organizing by people coming together and organizing as African students at McGill, but also the combination of social, cultural, political, and academic work already being done in the 1960s for and around African Studies. 

An article reporting on Brooks’ presentation is published on the cover page of the March 1^st issue of the Daily. Anacleto Pellegrini describes Brooks as having discussed the partial achievement of “political freedom” in Africa, noting “35 independent, majority-ruled nations on the African continent.” Brooks critiqued the western press for emphasizing social and economic problems while ignoring the achievements of the African nations, pointing specifically to the development of education and natural and human resources. She identified the colonial powers as having “neglected their duties” and “failed to provide opportunities for all,” asserting that now however, Africa would “march to economic emancipation and political resurgence.”