The Association of Black Anthropologists (ABA) originated in 1968 and was formally established in 1975. The ABA encourages the anthropological study of black people and supports the professional development of black anthropologists. For this purpose the association monitors the discipline and fosters communication among black anthropologists. Since 1989, the ABA has been affiliated with the American Anthropological Association (AAA).
In 1968 the AAA established a Minority Caucus at its annual meeting in Seattle. Following this meeting several black anthropologists, including Council Taylor, Delmos Jones, Diana Lewis, Johnetta Cole, and Oliver Osborne, concerned about the black curriculum in anthropology, agreed to meet regularly to examine the contributions of minority anthropologists and to increase their number. In 1970, the AAA established a Committee on Minority Participation in Anthropology from which emerged the Caucus of Black Anthropologists. In 1973 the caucus began publication of a four-page newsletter, Notes from the Natives. The newsletter, started by Sheila Walker while a graduate student at the University of Chicago, explored the work of black anthropologists and carried book reviews, commentaries, paper abstracts, and job listings.
In the early 1970s, regular caucus participants, largely consisting of junior faculty and graduate students, agreed to launch a formal organization. Under the leadership of Anselme Remy, chair of the caucus, and the members of the steering committee, Jerry Wright, Delmos Jones, and Patricia Guthrie, the caucus reorganized as the ABA at the 1975 AAA meeting in San Francisco. The late Vera Green became the ABA’s first president, succeeded by Anselme Remy, Johnnetta Cole, John Stewart, A.Lynn Bolles, Tony Whitehead, and Ira E. Harrison.
In 1978, the ABA expanded its newsletter, renamed it Notes from the ABA, and appointed Walker as editor. Notes continued to carry its regular features and in addition started publishing brief scholarly notes and regular contributions by John Gwaltney and Rhett S.Jones. In 1981, Glenn Jordan, a graduate student at the University of Illinois, and Willie Baber, assistant professor of Anthropology and African Studies at Purdue University, became co-editors of Notes. A year later Jordan also launched the ABA’s Occasional Paper series. With the support of AAA and ABA members, Notes gradually evolved into Transforming Anthropology, a refereed journal committed to the study of “race, ethnicity, class, gender, and other invidious distinctions.” In addition to these publications, the ABA has published a Black Anthropologists Directory and The ABA Directory.
While the ABA began as an informal organization of black anthropologists it is now open to all anthropologists and those in allied fields who are committed to the goals of the association.
FURTHER READINGS
Green, Vera, ed. Black Anthropologists Directory. N.p.: Association of Black Anthropologists, 1978–1979.
Harrison, Ira E., and Arthur K.Spears, eds. The ABA Directory. Washington, D.C.: The Association of Black Anthropologists, 1991.
Rhett S.Jones
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