Dr. Anges Odinga Serves as Co-Chair for the Pan African Conference
Every spring semester, Minnesota State University, Mankato hosts the Pan African Conference. This February Dr. Agnes Odinga served as a co-chair alongside Kenneth Reid, Director of the Center for African American Affairs. The theme of the 2019 Pan African Conference is “Dreaming of Wakanda.” The theme originates from the 2018 film, Black Panther, and is symbolic for the concept of Pan Africanism. Pan-Africanism is a global movement that advocates for solidarity of African people within the continent and the diaspora.
At Minnesota State University the event provides a place for scholars, community members and students to dialogue about issues concerning diversity and multiculturalism. Professor Odinga described the conference as, “a vehicle to discuss economic empowerment, liberating education, social justice and inclusion.” While the Pan African conference provides great opportunities for African American students to network, it also provides an opportunity for the whole community of students and staff to learn about Pan Africanism. For an in-depth explanation of Pan-Africanism, listen to the radio interview that Dr. Odinga, Kenneth Reid, and Ruby Olouch provided on KMOJ.
