What can we learn about history, governance, and democracy from the autobiographies of politicians? This call invites panelists interested in examining how autobiographies by African politicians and political workers (political advisors, mobilizers, ministers, etc.) serve as repositories of intellectual traditions and responses to contemporary crises. By centering autobiographies, this panel explores how African leaders self-represent their own visions of concepts such as democracy, socialism, environmentalism, and human rights. The panel aims to investigate how African political autobiographies engage with multiple, intersecting crises of our time: gender inequalities, socio-economic disparities, the challenges to liberal democracy, conflict and militarism, and climate change. This call invites contributions that consider how autobiographical texts serve as sites of knowledge production that transcend conventional academic boundaries and offer alternative frameworks for understanding contemporary challenges.
Potential themes include but are not limited to:
• The autobiographical works of African women political leaders and their unique perspectives on gender, governance, and social transformation
• The intersections of African politicians’ autobiographies with discussions on democracy, human rights, governance, conflict, and ecological devastation
• The role of personal experience and collective history in shaping political thought
• The representation of concepts like ubuntu, ujamaa, and other African philosophical traditions in leaders’ personal narratives
To join the panel, please submit a 150-250-word abstract and a brief bio to Miriam Kilimo: mkilimo@wooster.edu by Friday March 7th 2025.
Political Autobiographies and the African Intellectual Tradition
