But John Mugane, appointed by the Commitee as senior preceptor in African Languages, says that though Harvard is improving, broader trends remain troubling. Despite Harvard’s addition of new tutorials in six African languages, he said, a double standard persists in Western scholarship between those who study Europe and those who study Africa.

“It is inconceivable to be an expert in French history when you don’t speak French,” he said, “but there are so many people who show up as experts [in African studies] who do not even attempt to learn the language.”

GAPS OF COVERAGE

And HASA’s leaders said that there is still a shortage of Africa-related course offerings.

HASA president Onyi Offor ’05 described the dearth of courses as a crucial issue for students interested in Africa and as an item high on the HASA agenda.

“People need to get involved in a struggle—and I will call it a struggle—of getting greater representation on campus,” Offor says.

Africa Week organizer Dosekun, an international student from Nigeria, says that offerings in the Core are weak, and there isn’t a single foreign cultures class on Africa.

“Africa is as foreign as it gets from the American perspective, but there’s nothing,” she says.

Dosekun says that all students should be encouraged to study Africa.

“If American students at places like Harvard don’t learn about Africa, things there are never going to change,” she says.

—Staff writer Michael A. Mohammed can be reached at mohammed@fas.harvard.edu.