In Memoriam: Kofi Awoonor, 1935-2013

AwoonorKofi Awoonor, the Ghanaian poet who studied and taught in the United States, was killed in the terrorist attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. He was 78 years old. Professor Awoonor was in Kenya to attend the Storymoja Hay Festival, a four-day celebration of African writing, storytelling, and poetry.

Professor Awoonor was a graduate of the University of Ghana. He earned a master’s degree at University College in London and a Ph.D. in comparative literature at Stony Brook University, a campus of the State University of New York. He later served as chair of the department of comparative literature at Stony Brook. After returning to Ghana in 1975 to head the English department at the University of Cape Coast, he became a political activist. He served as his country’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1990 to 1994.

Related Articles

2 COMMENTS

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs