2026 March Newsletter

A letter from AAI’s President on exploring the many ways Africa has shaped our shared world in our 2026 State of Education on Africa Conference.

AAI’s research associate, Naa Atswei Laryea, and AAI historian, Mora McLean, connect our 2026 SOE Conference to AAI’s history of illuminating our shared past.

Explore how geography and technology shaped enduring traditions of leadership and governance across West Africa with Dr. Michael Gomez and Dr. Madina Thiam.

Learn how gold and other traded materials fueled trans-Saharan trade, drawing global interest from Europe and the Islamic world, and affirming Africa’s central role in the medieval global economy with Prof. Sarah Guérin and Semafor Africa’s Yinka Adegoke.

Discover what can be learned from studying the enriched forms of the Arabic script known as Ajami produced during this period of West Africa’s history with Prof. Fallou Ngom and Dr. Gana Ndiaye. Extended Q&A responses included.

Watch our latest alumni interview with Foday Bojang - AFGRAD Alumnus, Senior Forestry Officer, and Country Director at CorpsAfrica.

Continuing to advance U.S.–Africa Partnerships through conversation and exchange, AAI announces its upcoming African Diplomatic Engagement Program (ADEP) for early May in Washington, D.C.

Learn about Evelyn Jones Rich’s lifelong fight for justice and equality in her new memoir, Civil Rights Warrior, and the life stories of AAI honorees during Women’s History Month.