CURRICULUM VITAE 

Ama MAZAMA

(Marie-Josée Cérol)

Department of African American Studies
817 Gladfelter Hall
Temple University
Philadelphia , Pa 19144
(215) 204-1992
mcerol@temple.edu

Educational Background

1987 Ph.D. in Linguistics, with Highest Distinction,
University of la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III, France
Dissertation Advisor: Professor Claude Hagège

1987 B.A. in French and Francophone Literature,
University of la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III, France

1983 Degree of Advanced Studies in Linguistics & Phonetics, with Highest Distinction, University of la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III, France

1982 M.A. in Linguistics, with High Distinction
University of Bordeaux , France

1981 B.A. in Linguistics, University of Bordeaux III, France

1980 General Studies Degree,University of Bordeaux III, France

1978 Highschool Diploma, with High Distinction

Academy of the Antilles, Guadeloupe

Professional Experience

1996-pres. Associate Professor in the Department of African American

Studies, Temple University , Philadelphia , Pa

1993-1995 Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies, Temple University , Philadelphia , Pa

Spring 1993 Visiting Professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies, Howard University , Washington , D.C.

Spring 1993 Visiting Professor in the Department of Linguistics,

Georgetown University , Washington , D.C.

1990-1993 Assistant Professor in the Department of African and African American Studies & Linguistics Program,

The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pa

1987-1990 Lecturer in the Department of French and Italian & the Center for Afro-American Studies, the University of Texas at Austin

Publications

Books

Mazama, Ama , Une Introduction au Créole Guadeloupéen , with an introduction by Professor Claude Hagège, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe : Jasor. 1991.

Mazama, Ama, L angue et Identité en Guadeloupe: Une Perspective Afrocentrique, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe : Jasor. 1997.

Mazama, Ama, Editor of Special Edition of the Journal of Black Studies , Proceedings of the 14 th Cheikh Anta Diop. 2002.

Asante , M. & Ama Mazama (eds). E gypt vs Greece in the Academe , Chicago , Il.: African American Images. 2001.

Mazama, Ama (ed.), The Afrocentric Paradigm , Trenton , N.J. : Africa World Press. 2003.

Mazama, Ama. L'Impératif Afrocentrique . Paris : Editions Ménaibuc. 2003.

Asante M. & Ama Mazama, General Editors , Encyclopedia of Black Studies, Thousand Oaks , Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama. Kwanzaa ou la Célébration du Génie Africain , Paris: Editions Ménaibuc. 2006.

Mazama, Ama (ed.). Africa in the Twenty-First Century: Toward a New Future . New York : Routledge. 2007.

Mazama, Ama. Molefi Kete Asante : The Man and His Thought , Chicago : Third World Press. (Forthcoming, 2008).

M. Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Encyclopedia of African Religion , 2 Volumes, Thousand Oaks , Ca: Sage. (Forthcoming, 2008).

Articles

Mazama, Ama, Journal of Black Studies , in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, The Struggle to maintain Afrocentricity at Temple University, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

2005.

Mazama, Ama, The Caribbean, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

2005.

Mazama, Ama, The Wretched of the Earth , in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Kete Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, Vodu, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

2005.

Mazama, Ama, Obeah, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

2005.

Mazama, Ama, Négritude, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

2005.

Mazama, Ama, Dislocation Theory, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, The First Ph.D. Program in African American Studies, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, Black Skin, White Masks in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, The Slave Route, a UNESCO Project, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, The African Burial Ground, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, Africana Womanism, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, Creolization, in Encyclopedia of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Ama Mazama (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, Graduate Programs in African American Studies, in Handbook of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Maulana Karenga (eds), Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, Disciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity, or Cross-Disciplinarity: Africana Studies and the Vexing Issue of Definition, in Handbook of Black Studies , Molefi Asante & Maulana Karenga (eds), Thousand Oaks , Ca: Sage Publications. 2005.

Mazama, Ama, The Irruption of Creole in Maryse Condé's Romans Antillais: Subverting the Neo-Colonial Order? Special Issue of Romanic Review , K. Glover, Guest Editor, Columbia University Press. 2004.

Mazama, Ama, Graduate Studies in African Studies, African Studies in the 21 st Century, Jacob Gordon (ed.). New York : Nova. 2004.

Mazama, Ama. Afrocentricity, Dictionary of World Ideas . New York : MacMillan. 2005.

Mazama, Ama. Molefi Kete Asante , African American National Biography Dictionary , Louis Henry Gates (ed.), Oxford : Oxford University Press. (Forthcoming, 2008).

Mazama, Ama. The intellectual and political roots of the Afrocentric paradigm, Rhetor. (Forthcoming, 2008).

Mazama, Ama. Introduction to The Afrocentric Paradigm , Trenton , NJ : Africa World Press. 2003.

Mazama, Ama, Afrocentricity and Spirituality, Journal of Black Studies . 2002.

Mazama, Ama, Language and Afrocentricity, Intercultural Communication Handbook, Virginia Milhouse & Molefi Asante (eds), New York : Sage. 2001.

Mazama, Ama, The Afrocentric Paradigm: Contours and Definitions,

Journal of Black Studies. 2001.

Mazama, Ama, Of the Dangers of Paradigmatic Imitation, Encore. 2001.

Mazama, Ama, The Nature of Linguistic Contacts in Guadeloupe: Historical and Sociological Evidence, Caribbean Linguistics Studies II, Lawrence Carrington et al. (eds), Port of Spain, Trinidad: University of the West Indies Press. 1999.

Mazama, Ama, The Eurocentric Discourse on Writing: An Exercise in Self-Glorification, Journal of Black Studies. 1998.

Mazama, Ama, The Relevance of Ngugi wa Thiong'o for the Afrocentric Quest, Western Journal of Black Studies. 1995.

Mazama, Ama, An Afrocentric Approach to Language Planning, Journal of Black Studies . 1994.

Mazama, Ama, Une Lecture Afrocentrique Critique de l'Eloge de la

Créolité , Penser la Créolité , Maryse Condé & Madeleine Cottenet-Hage (eds), Paris : Karthala. 1994.

Mazama, Ama, Language, Liberation and Oppression. Pan-African perspectives, Francois Muyumba (ed.), Terre Haute : Indiana State University Press. 1993.

Mazama, Ama, A Propos de la Planification du Créole Guadeloupéen, Language Reform , Itsvan Fodor & Claude Hagège (eds), Hamburg: Buske-Verlag.1993.

Mazama, Ama, What History tells us about the development of Creole in Guadeloupe, New West Indian Guide, The Royal Dutch Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 1992.

Mazama, Ama, Les enjeux d'une litterature écrite en Créole guadeloupéen, L'Héritage de Caliban , Maryse Condé (éd.), Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe : Jasor. 1992.

Reviews

Mazama, Ama. Review of Mercy, Mercy Me: The Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye , Micahel Eric Dyson. African American Literature Review . 2006.

Mazama, Ama. Review of Sons of Mississipi , Paul Hendrickson, African American Literature Review . 2003.

Mazama, Ama, Review of Erasing Racism , Molefi Kete Asante , Journal of Political and Social Thought , Lincoln University . 2003.

Mazama, Ama, Review of The Vodun Quantum Leap , R.Crosley, Journal of Black Studies. 2002.

Mazama, Ama, Review of Pan-Africanism, the movement and its ideas, 1776-1991 , P.O. Esedebe, African American Literature Review. 1996.

Mazama, Ama, Review of Eurocentrism , Samir Amin, Journal of Black Studies. 1994.

Mazama, Ama, Review of St.-Lucian Dictionary , I. Mondesir & L. Carrington, Anthropological Linguistics. 1993.

Mazama, Ama, Review of Pidgins and Creoles , Loreto Todd, Language Learning. 1992.

Mazama, Ama, Review of Le Créole Haitien, Dialecte negro-latin , Marie-

Therese Archer, Chemins Critiques , Haitian Review of

Literature and Philosophy. 1989.

Mazama, Ama, Review of English-related Creoles , Ian Hancock (ed.), Bulletin de la Société Linguistique de Paris. 1986.

Selected Conferences since 1995

March 1995, Organizer of the First International Conference on Knowledge and Power, Department of African American Studies, Temple University

Invited guests included: Claude Alvares ( India ), Gustavo Esteva, ( Mexico ), Serge Latouche (France), Molefi Asante ( U.S. ), and Theophile Obenga ( Congo )

April 1995, An Afrocentric Critique of the concept of development ,

Pan-African Studies Conference, hosted by the Department of African and African American Studies, Penn State, University Park, Pa

May 1995, The Relevance of Africa for Language Planning in the Caribbean

Caribbean Studies Association, Curacao, Dutch West Indies

Oct. 1995, Issues of Caribbean Identity

Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference, Department of African American

Studies, Temple University , Philadelphia , Pa

Aug. 1996, Afrocentricity or Creoleness?

The Virgin Island Institute for the Study of Folk Culture

St.-Thomas, U.S.V.I

Dec. 1997, The African Contribution to the Lexicon of Guadeloupean

Creole , Unesco Conference on the " Slave Route ,"Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe

March 1999, The Language Question for the African Diaspora ,

University of Ottawa , Ottawa , Canada

1996-pres., Organizer of Nommo, an intellectual forum dedicated to furthering our understanding of the Afrocentric Paradigm, Temple University .

Invested guests have included: Molefi Asante, Clenora Hudson-Weems, Djibril Tamsir Niane (author of Sundiata, An Epic of Old Mali ), Charles Pouncey, Rev. Clarence Lumumba James, and Ama Mazama.

Oct. 1999, 11 th Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference, Keynote Speaker,

Topic: The Afrocentric Paradigm , Philadelphia , Pa.

October 2001, Afrocentricity and Spirituality , 13 th Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference, Philadelphia , Pa

October 2002, African American Studies or Slave Studies? The Issue of a Paradigm for AAS , 14 th Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference, Philadelphia , Pa

October 2003, 15 th Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference, Keynote Speaker,

Topic: Maintaining Afrocentricity in the Age of Globalization , Philadelphia , Pa.

October 2004, "The Encyclopedia of Black Studies: An Update," 16 th Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference, Philadelphia , Pa.

November 2002, Vodou in Haiti , Symposium on Vodou or Christianity ? Temple University Haitian Students Organization.

November 2002, The Afrocentric Paradigm , Lehigh University , Pa

Invited Lecture in the Department of Africana Studies

March 2003, Vodu, an African Religion , Lafayette College , Pa

Invited Lecture in the Department of Religion

March 2003, The African Roots of Guadeloupean Creole , Symposium on Contact Languages, Temple University

February 2004, Keynote Speaker at Conference on Africa, Guadeloupe

March 2004, Vodu, A Sacred African Religion , University of Pennsylvania

November 2004, Vodu and Christianity: What Should Africans Believe? African American Museum , Philadelphia

July 2005, Invited speaker at Menaibuc-Africamaat Conference, Paris: "What religion for African people?"

October 2005, Speaker, 17 th Cheikh Anta Diop Conference, Philadelphia , Pa

March 2006, Plenary Speaker, National Council of Black Studies, Houston , Texas : "Africana Studies and the still vexing issue of self-definition."

May 2006, Keynote speaker at Pan-African Congress Celebration, Birmingham , United Kingdom : "The role of African women in the liberation struggle."

July 2006, Invited speaker at Menaibuc-Africamaat Conference, Paris : "Afrocentricity: Avoiding Confusion."

October 2006, 18 th Cheikh Anta Diop Conference, Philadelphia , Pa , Plenary speaker: "Afrocentricity: The State of the Art."

September 2006, Invited speaker at Biennale du Marronnage, Matoury, Guyane: "La contribution des langues africaines à la langue guadeloupéenne."

December 2006, Gosier, Guadeloupe : "Kwanzaa, une arme contre l'aliénation mentale."

Teaching

Undergraduate Courses taught during the last five years:

Africa in the Twentieth Century

Introduction to Caribbean Culture and History

Introduction to African American Studies

Dimensions of Racism

Intellectual Heritage 052

Graduate Courses taught during the last five years:

Caribbean Culture and Politics

African Language and Decolonization

The Afrocentric Idea

African Religions

Editorial Board:

Journal of Black Studies, Associate Editor

Journal of African Cultural Transmissions

Imhotep

Peer Reviewer:

Journal of Negro Education

Service to the Community:

Series of Free Lectures on Langue et Identité en Guadeloupe: Une Perspective Afrocentrique, in Guadeloupe :

July 3, 1998 : Public Library of Trois-Rivières, Guadeloupe

July 10, 1998: Public Library of les Abymes, Guadeloupe

July, 11, 1998: Restaurant "Les Marmites de l'Afrique"

July 14, 1998: Public Library of Deshaies, Guadeloupe

July 17, 1998: Public Library of Gosier, Guadeloupe

July 22, 1998: Public Library of Saint-Francois, Guadeloupe

July 24, 1998: Public Library of Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe

July, 28, 1998: Public Library of Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe

August 8, 1998: Public Library of le Moule, Guadeloupe

Invited Free Lecture on Langue et Identité en Guadeloupe: Une Perspective Afrocentrique at the Centre Culturel Rémy Nainsouta, Club de Lecture de l'Office Municipal de Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe , January 8, 1999.

Organizer of the first Kwanzaa Celebration in Guadeloupe , December 1999.

Invited Free Lecture on Afrocentricity to grassroots organization Racines , Guadeloupe , July 2002.

Consultancies

Afrocentric Educational Consultant for the Alabama School Board, 2001.

Afrocentric Educational Consultant for the New Jersey School Board, 2001.

Afrocentric Educational Consultant for the School District of Philadelphia , Pa , 2004.

Professional Membership

National Council of Black Studies

Caribbean Studies Association

Ankh

Awards

1998 Cheikh Anta Diop Award for Afrocentric Scholarship and

Activism.

2000 Cheikh Anta Diop Award for Afrocentric Initiative and

Scholarship.

Languages Spoken

Guadeloupean Creole, French, English.

Languages studied and understood : Kiswahili, Kikongo, Kimbundu, Spanish, Russian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, Krio, Haitian.

Media Invitations

1991-2007 Numerous appearances on Radio & Television France Outre-Mer , Guadeloupe, Martinique , Guyane & France.

1998-2007 Several invitations from WHAT and WUDR as special guest, Philadelphia , Pa , as well as from WRTI , Temple University Radio Station.

1998-2007 Several interviews to local newspapers.

2000 Special feature in Amina, an international magazine about African Women in Africa and the Diaspora.