Archives usually consist of historical documents or records that offer insights into specific locales, institutions, or communities. However, what happens when these documents are seemingly indecipherable? Such is the case with the writings of Omar ibn Said, a West African Muslim scholar who endured enslavement in the Carolinas for over half a century. At the time of his death in 1863, he left behind a collection of works in Arabic, including his autobiography from 1831. Omar’s writings have elicited both scholarly intrigue and misconceptions. This talk aims to utilize his archives to investigate the ostensibly formidable challenge of representing Omar’s life and struggles.
Mbaye Lo is associate professor of the practice of Asian and Middle Eastern studies and international comparative studies at Duke University. Originally from Senegal, Lo completed his undergraduate and graduate training in classical Arabic language and literature at the International University of Africa, Khartoum and Khartoum International Institute for Arabic Language, Sudan. He also received an MA in American history from Cleveland State University where he also earned his PhD from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs with a dissertation on Re-inventing Civil Society-Based Governance in Africa: Theories and Practices.
Professor Lo is the author and editor of nine books in both English and Arabic that examine the intersection of intellectual and social discourse of Arabic/Islamic and African cultures. He has written widely on political Islam, Arabic literary traditions in West Africa, and ideas of civil society and governance. Lo is a recipient of several awards including the National Humanities Center fellowship, the American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship on Luce/ACLS Program in Religion, Journalism & International Affairs, Duke Engage Program Director Award, and Duke University Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award.
This event is presented by the Islamic Worlds Initiative.