Seeds of Kush: How Africa Gave Birth to the Classical Tradition
Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Browsing Room, Founders Library
This is a hybrid event. It will take place in person at Howard University’s Browsing Room in the Founders Library, as well as on Zoom.
Frank M. Snowden, Jr. was Professor and Chair of the Classics Department, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University, where he worked for over forty years. He received the National Humanities Medal at the White House in 2003, being described as “A lion-hearted Classicist, he is an Olympian man.”
To learn more about Frank M. Snowden, Jr. and the lecture series, read Dr. Rudolph Hock’s article here.
The following day on Friday, April 19, the Center for Hellenic Studies will be holding a pedagogical roundtable honoring Frank M. Snowden, Jr. and the Black Classicists exhibition (created by Michele Valerie Ronnick).
About the Speaker
Dr. Anika T. Prather earned her B.A. from Howard University in elementary education. She also has earned several graduate degrees in education from New York University and Howard University. She has a Masters in liberal arts from St. John’s College (Annapolis) and a PhD in English, Theatre and Literacy Education from the University of Maryland (College Park). Her research focus is on building literacy with African American students through engagement in the books of the Canon and self-published her book Living in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African American Students Reading Great Books Literature recently.
Anika is also the co-author for The Black Intellectual Tradition (with Dr. Angel Parham). She has served as a teacher, supervisor for student teachers, director of education and Head of School. She taught in the classics department at Howard University as a full time lecturer and she also served as Director of High Quality Curriculum and Instruction at Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy (until February 2024). Currently she is a sought after speaker on the topic of the relevancy of classical studies to the Black community. In 2015, Anika founded The Living Water School. The Living Water School is a unique Christian school for independent learners, based on the educational philosophies of Classical Education and the Sudbury Model. In the spring of 2022, Anika and Damon opened The Living Water Center where activities for the Living Water School, book talks, and other events are hosted. The Living Water Center (located in Old Town Alexandria) also houses The Blacks in Classics Museum which is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays for visitors to see original artwork featuring Blacks who have been inspired by classics and the works of the Canon.
