The James Arthur Baldwin Africologic Institute (JABAI)
Few American authors have written and spoken as unreservedly, presciently – and prophetically, even – about race in America, as did the incomparable James Arthur Baldwin. The celebrated, yet controversial, artivist – born in Harlem in 1924 – routinely held up a mirror to American society, and never bowed, despite untold dangers, until the time of his 1987 passing, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, at age 63.
His body of work stands out in the literary canon as one of the most sublime, prolific, and imposing of the twentieth century. Not bound by genre, Baldwin wore numerous literary hats: novelist, essayist, poet, and playwright. From his earliest and most seminal essays, to the poignant poetry volume, Jimmy’s Blues, to his film-adapted novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, to his groundbreaking play, Blues For Mister Charlie, as well as myriad interviews, and scholarly volumes analyzing his catalog, his works and words are closely examined to pinpoint recurring themes and motifs that, even now, more than three decades since his passing, continue to resonate with – and inspire – generations of thinkers to study and build upon his ideas. As such, his writings have become a mainstay in the canons of both American and World Literatures.
Africology is an academic discipline centered in “the Afrocentric study of African phenomena.” As such, it is dedicated to the sustained, wholistic scrutiny of all aspects of the lived experience of African-descended peoples around the world, with a necessarily Africologic approach to methods and data. Established in 2022, the James Arthur Baldwin Africologic Institute is built upon these philosophical and theoretical premises.
Just as Baldwin was not bound by literary genres, JABAI’s focus is not limited to the Humanities or the Social Sciences. Rather, both Cultural Aesthetics and Social Behavioral concentrations are our Africological foci. The discipline encompasses – but is not limited to – the areas of literature, sociology, communications, history, philosophy, ethics, social work, psychology, dance, music, religion, fine arts, linguistics, jurisprudence, education, culinary arts, and mathematics.
Another major charge of the JABAI is community engagement – both local and at-large. Symposia, cultural observations, youth pipeline slash enrichment programs, workshops, and partnerships with local businesses and organizations will be among the tools employed to actively involve our neighbors in the day-to-day life of Virginia State University, and, as well, that of our students, faculty, and staff.
A biannual scholarly journal and a quarterly newsletter will be published. A non-governing advisory board, comprised of a mix of prominent Africology scholars and local leaders, will provide guidance and insight to JABAI.
We choose to honor James Baldwin because we take seriously the late poet laureate Amiri Baraka’s funerary declaration to the Black World delivered at the great man’s Celebration of Life in 1987: “Let us, one day, be able to celebrate him, like he must be celebrated if we are ever truly to be self-determining.” Accordingly, today, and forever, we celebrate James Arthur Baldwin, Son of Harlem, and Citizen of the World.