Swahili and Black Aspirations in the United States:

• In Event: New Directions in the Study of Global Africa: Migration, Language and Foodways

Description for Program

The study investigates the factors contributing to the adoption and use of Swahili in Saint Louis, examining migration patterns, the role of Swahili in maintaining cultural identity, and its integration into local educational and cultural institutions. In particular, the paper focuses on Swahili and the Black aspirations in the United States as illustrated by the narrative about the early 1960s arrival in St. Louis of three Kenyan high schoolers. Their contributions reinforced the link between the Black American civil rights struggle, Swahili, and eastern Africa, highlighting the role of language in transnational social movements and cultural exchange.

Authors

• Pasya Kashindi, Washington University in St. Louis

• Daniel Kipchirchir Cheluget, Washington University in St. Louis

• Mungai Mutonya