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Spelman Spotlight THE VOICE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMANHOOD Vol, XXXVI - NO. 11 APRIL 7, 1993 Professor Becomes Published Scholar Gomez' Pragmatism Sure To Influence Many times! You hear me?" Dr. Gomez have the manuscript completed within emphasized jokingly, but serious about the next year, but he realizes that other the magnitude and complexity of the dcmands-including his responsibilities revision process. "It was rough- as a professor at Spelman College-may Johnnetta [Cole] will tell you. I’d bring not allow for such a deadline. 'Hie it to her office and want to cry!" quality of the educational process at The press never actually Spelman remains a foremost priority to committed until the fourth revision, and him. He played an instrumental role, the entire process proved often to be for example, in the successful very disheartening for Dr. Gomez. He advocation of replacing the World described how at times he wanted to Civilization core requirement with the "forget the whole thing, thinking [the course The African Diaspora and the publishers] are racist," etc. Still he World, to begin next fall. "If you want endured, remembering the lesson learned the educational process [at Spelman] to about constructive criticism and be its best, you do what you have to recognizing the importance of being do," said Dr. Gomez. published by a reputable source. "The Dr. Gomez smiled warmly as academic journals are tough. [Landing he discussed how rewarding it was for a reputable publisher] says to them that him to have the opportunity as a this book has passed certain tests, and is professor to directly influence Dr. Michael Gomez valid," Dr. Gomez said. students’lives. His cheerful mood, He has already begun work on willingness to help others, genuine his next book, which will focus on the interest in the lives and progress of his social history of Africans and African students, and trademark "Hey friend, Americans in the colonial and shake my hand!" greeting-which, By Jamellah L. Braddock The entire process spanned antebellum South. His work will mark during the interview, were routinely Associate Editor approximately eight years. The history the very first examination of this topic extended to students and faculty After being exposed to and professor vividly recounted the struggle from the perspective of an African passing by in the cafeteria—have impressed by Northwestern University’s to find a worthy and reputable American scholar, and he seeks in the positively influenced many in the African holdings as a graduate student publisher, which he said "wasn’t easy." end to discover how African American Spelman College community. at the University of Chicago; after His first few attempts to land a desired culture was developed. Pragmatism in the Age of completing rigorous dissertation publisher were unsuccessful, but he Dr. Gomez said he hopes to Jihad will likely be the beginning of requirements in Senegal; after traveling used the rejection to his advantage. his influence on the world. again to West Africa-Mali, Gambia, "When you have a good idea and you Mauritania, and to Europe-France and get criticism, you have to become Great Britain, to access the archives for thick-skinned but incorporate it into African studies, Dr. Michael Gomez your work and learn from it," said Dr. has produced a work sure to rival the Gomez. most esteemed collection of in-depth After improving his studies on precolonial West Africa: manuscript, Dr. Gomez decided not to Pragmatism in the Age of Jihad. send it to the same publishers who had Pragmatism in the Age of previously turned him down. Proving Jihad: The Precolonial State ofBundu it to be a smart move, Cambridge began as a concept for Dr. Gomez University Press accepted his while still a graduate student at the manuscript. University of Chicago. After teaching Even after landing Cambridge, at Washington University for three the process for Dr. Gomez was far years, Dr. Gomez in 1987 returned to from complete. The Cambridge West Africa for one year as a publishers sent the manuscript to their renowned Fulbright Scholar, intending experts, who continued to recommend to turn his graduate work into a book. revisions. "I rewrote it about five Dr. Gomez surrounded by (left to right) his mother, oldest daughter, wife, and younger daughter. Page 2 Spelman Spotlight, Atlanta, GA April 7, 1993 NATIONAI/INTERNATIONAL NEWS Asians Return to Uganda After 20 Years Civil War Ends By Malaika Kamunanwire Uganda is an East African nation market that the Asians had cornered. pleased most Ugandans who still in Mozambique harbored strong dislike for the Asians. trying to recover from years of British He believed that the Asians were The British removed Amin from colonialism and internal political strife. extracting Ugandan natural resources power and reinstituted Abote in a It is a country whose birth into and the seeds of the nation’s wealth and By Gay Ojugabana independence was shortlived because of taking money to British and Asian bloody civil war that resulted in several Mozambique’s civil war has finally European supported coup d’etats which banks. The British felt threatened by casualties. Abote came back out of come to a tentative halt. The country exile with British supporters because of left the country in financial ruins. The Abote, so they replaced him with the has been at war, continuously, since his promise to welcome the expelled deterioration of the Ugandan economy notorious Idi Amin Dada. 1964. Asians back to Uganda. In a formal is also a result of the Asian exodus in Amin was also angered by the Asian Beginning in 1964, Mozambican written agreement, Abote’s regime 1972. At this time, over 70,000 of the control and dominance of the Ugandan insurgents fought the ruling Portugese consented to return the exiled Asians to country’s Asians were expelled, only to economy for more than 50 years. colonists for 10 years, finally winning Uganda and restore their properties. A be asked to return over 20 years later. Unknown to his British supporters, he independence in 1975. In 1975, the few Asians began returning from 1981 The Asians who came to Uganda as agreed with Abote and instituted new Front for the Liberation of until 1985. Since it was a time of British indentured servants in the early economic measures asking for the Mozambique (Frelimo) came to rule. revolution, most Asians did not want to twentieth century, have had a long and departure of all Asians from Uganda. When Frelimo first came to power, it complex history with the Ugandan He verbally attacked the Asian return until peace was restored in the was entrenched in Communism, but it people. The Asians replaced the East community for not integrating with the suffering nation. later shifted to free market pragmatism When President Museveni came into Africans in the building of the Ugandan Ugandan community and assuming an in the late 1980s. power in 1986, as a matter of Railroad which stretched from air of superiority over the East Africans. The opposing party, Renamo, international law, he had to respect the Mombassa, Kenya, to the Mountains of More importantly, he accused the Asians originated from "a loose militia agreement made by his predecessor and the Moon in Uganda. of committing acts of economic recruited by Portuguese industrialists to the British government. In order for the Many Asians and Africans were sabotage such as currency racketeering, protect their interests during the war of country to receive aid from several eaten alive by Tsavo lions (national income tax evasion, smuggling, hording, independence," according to The New international organizations, Museveni park in Kenya) or subject to the cruel and trying to prevent Africans from York Times. Renamo was later used as agreed to ask the Asians to return and to whip of the colonialists. After the entering the market they had cornered. a ploy by the white-ruled Rhodesian aid in the rebuilding of the country railroad was completed, the Asians From 1962 until 1967, a small (now Zimbabwean) intelligence to destroyed by political instability and a were given second class British percentage of the Asian population in undermine the established Mozambican citizenship and exclusive control of the Uganda changed their citizenship from crumbling economy. government. Mozambique, at the time, President Museveni fears, along with entire East African commerce. This British to Ugandan. In 1971, Amin, provided a safe haven for Rhodesian the majority of Ugandans, that the marked the beginning of the Asians’ displeased with the low number of insurgents. Asians will return and attempt to resume long and tense relationship with Asians changing their citizenship, The war ravished the country, left economic policies as before. When Ugandans. requested all Asians to report to the hundreds of thousands dead, and many Museveni looks at neighboring Kenya The Asians, particularly Indians, census office for counting and to people sick with disease and whose economy is dominated by its adopted a very superior racial, cultural produce a national identity. At the same malnourished. Both sides committed Asian population, he is afraid of where and religious attitude toward the time, applications for citizenship to all atrocities, but Renamo appeared the return of the Asians may lead the Ugandans. They settled in cities and British Asians were cancelled. In especially brutal. While Frelimo Ugandan economy. However, towns and established trading centers, August of 1972, Amin launched a law soldiers took part in occasional looting rehabilitation of the country’s where the Ugandans consumed what expelling all Asian noncitizens within 90 sprees and terroristic acts, Renamo infrastructure will require the the Asians produced. Under British days. Five thousand of the 70,000 soldiers, on the norm, committed child investments of the Asian business law, Ugandans were denied any role in Asians in the country left within 48 napping (to expand its army), rape, people who fled the nation.