African Studies Association


The African Studies Association is an association of scholars and professionals in the United States and Canada with an interest in the continent of Africa. Started in 1957, the ASA is the leading organization of African Studies in North America. The associations headquarters are Rutgers University in New Jersey. The ASA holds annual conferences.
As a result of racial and political disputes over exclusion from leadership positions of black academics and ASA leaders' ties with the US intelligence and military, the ASA split in 1968, when the Black Caucus of the ASA, led by John Henrik Clarke, founded the African Heritage Studies Association.

Awards given by ASA

Herskovits Award

The Herskovits Award is given annually for the best scholarly work on Africa published in English in the previous year and distributed in the United States. The award is named after Melville Herskovits, one of the founders of the ASA.

Distinguished Africanist Award

Beginning in 1984, the association has awarded the Distinguished Africanist Award. In 2000, 2001, 2010 and 2011 two awards were given. Winners include:

Bethwell Ogot Book Prize

The Bethwell A. Ogot Book Prize of the African Studies Association is awarded annually at the ASA Annual Meeting to the author of the best book on East African Studies published in the previous calendar year. Initiated in 2012, the award was made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of the late Professor Kennell Jackson, the award honors the eminent historian, Professor Bethwell A. Ogot.
Winners of this award are:
Presidents of the ASA are elected annually by the membership. They include:

Publications

Publications include an annual journal: History in Africa: A Journal of Method, and African Studies Review. The Association publishes a quarterly newsletter ASA News for its members, and runs a blog.

African Heritage Studies Association

The African Heritage Studies Association is an offshoot of the African Studies Association, and was founded in 1968 by the ASA's Black Caucus and led by John Henrik Clarke.