To: Exxon/Mobil Fellowship Committee
From: William Jelani Cobb
Assistant Professor of History,
Spelman College

Report on International Faculty Development Seminar: Nation-Building in South Africa

Let me begin by saying that the CIEE Seminar in South Africa was a wonderful and enriching experience on both the personal and professional level. The seminar, which ran from June 7 – 18, 2003, was thoroughly well-planned and well-organized. I left South Africa with the impression that I had been exposed to a broad cross-section of the society and had learned immense lessons that I am, quite honestly, still processing. Our host, Quentin Redcliffe, was thoroughly knowledgeable and hospitable. Our guide Toni Sylvester was engaging, informed on intriguing arcana of South African history and culture as well as warm and witty.

The lectures we attended at the University of Cape Town and the University of Pretoria as well as the sessions with members of Parliament and the tours of historical sites enriching. The “Overview of Contemporary South Africa” and “AIDS and Human Rights in South Africa” discussions – led by Professor Bickford Smith of UCT and Vuyani Jacobs of the Treatment Action Campaign respectively – were both outstanding.

Of the numerous benefits of attendance, one of the most significant was the contacts that I was able to make while abroad. Of particular importance is my interaction with Shaheen Ariefdan, a graduate student in Anthropology at the University of Cape Town. I met Mr. Ariefdan during our tour of the University of Capetown. Mr. Ariefdan’s work focuses on globalization and the concomitant spread of American popular culture. As a historian of the Cold War and African American politics in the 20th century, one of my areas of study is the use of U.S. popular culture as a form of diplomacy during the 1950s. We have had a lengthy and ongoing exchange of ideas on this subject and recently initiated a scholarly article which will highlight the convergent themes of politics and cultural production in the Cold War and post Cold War worlds.

As a teacher, I have been able to incorporate several new elements into my classroom as a result of my trip. In the general sense, traveling to South Africa has broadened my frame of reference and contributed to my base of knowledge. More specifically, my exposure to the mechanics of a society that is actively “constructing” a non-racial democracy has been immeasurably important. As the African Americanist in my department, much of my pedagogical focus centers around the theme of herrenvolk and non-racial democracy in the United States. This year, however, I have been able to do so in a much more comparative fashion. The unit of my African American Thought class dealing with Reconstruction and the one on the Civil Rights Movement have now been adapted to include material relating to the South African experience. Further, I plan to explore these themes more explicitly in a comparative course specifically on the histories of United States and South Africa.

Part of my teaching responsibilities include participation in the African Diaspora and World program at Spelman College. Additionally, the college is in the midst of its Year of the African Diaspora activities. As a faculty member, the CIEE seminar has given me a more informed perspective to bring to both these undertakings. I have shared my experiences with my students and colleagues in two forums. The trip was the subject of a discussion held with my students earlier this academic year. I also wrote an article on my experience in South Africa for the newsletter of the African Diaspora and World program. Finally, I intend to discuss information gathered during the trip in an upcoming installment of my monthly history column, Past Imperfect.

This trip was a wonderfully fulfilling opportunity. I am deeply appreciative of the generosity of the Exxon/Mobil Fellowship which facilitated it.