Ancient Mali & the Modern World: Manuscripts, Archives & Uncomfortable Truths
In this live conversation, we are joined by scholar Dr. Herbert Brewer, artist and scholar Mélisande Short-Colomb, cultural preservationist Lama Eldesouky, and Dr. Cynthia Schneider to unpack the significance of Malian manuscripts from the 1400s, now made available on the online platform Mali Magic and offered in multiple translations by Google Arts & Culture.
How can the Malian manuscripts help us rewrite dominant histories, against the backdrop of prevailing Western narratives? We discuss the stakes of preservation, the political suppression of collective memory and African knowledge, and question who holds the right to structure an archive. Our panelists connect the histories embodied in these invaluable manuscripts with our contemporary world.
Participants
Dr. Herbert Brewer is Assistant Professor, History & Geography at Morgan State University and his scholarship focuses on African Diaspora; Slavery and Emancipation in the Atlantic World.
Lama Eldesouky is a designer that has worked in communications and cultural heritage preservation with focus on the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan. She has most recently participated in bringing forth the Mali Magic platform online on Google Arts & Culture.
Mélisande Short-Colomb is Research & Community Engagement Associate at the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University. Photo credit: Gus Bennett
Panel Moderator Ambassador Cynthia P. Schneider, PhD, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown, teaches, publishes, and organizes initiatives in diplomacy and culture. She co-directs the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown, as well as the Los Angeles-based MOST Resource (Muslims on Screen and Television). Additionally, she co-directs the Mali-based Timbuktu Renaissance. Dr. Schneider speaks and publishes on topics related to arts, culture, and media and international affairs.
Professor Schneider was a member of Georgetown’s art history faculty from 1984-2005, and published on Rembrandt and seventeenth century Dutch art.
From 1998-2001 she served as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, and led initiatives in cultural diplomacy, biotechnology, cyber security, and military affairs. She has a BA and PhD from Harvard University. schneidc@georgetown.edu @schneidercp
We are very excited to have you back at our events and would like to remind you that we are still in the midst of the pandemic. Please be considerate of your fellow guests and stay home if you’re feeling unwell. Also, consider wearing a mask when attending indoor BPL Presents events. You’ll be doing your part to help keep yourself and everyone healthy and safe.
Mali Magic is generously supported by Tauck Ritzau Innovative Philanthropy and The Morris & Alma Schapiro Fund.
