American Society of African Culture facts for kids
The American Society of African Culture (AMSAC) was an important group for African-American writers, artists, and thinkers. It was created to help African Americans connect with their African heritage and share African culture with the world.
How AMSAC Started
AMSAC began in 1957. It was inspired by a meeting of Black writers and artists in Paris in 1956. Five African-American thinkers officially started AMSAC. They were:
- John A. Davis, who studied politics and worked for civil rights.
- Horace Mann Bond, a historian and social scientist.
- Will Mercer Cook, a French professor who later became an American ambassador.
- William T. Fontaine, a philosopher.
- James Ivy, an editor for the NAACP's magazine, Crisis.
Other famous people like Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court Justice, and jazz legend Duke Ellington also helped start AMSAC.
What AMSAC Did
At its busiest time in the early 1960s, AMSAC had about 400 members. Their main goal was to help African Americans learn about and celebrate their African roots. They did this in many ways:
- They held art shows.
- They organized talks and lectures.
- They put on music performances.
- They hosted conferences in the United States, mostly in New York, and sometimes in Africa.
AMSAC also published important books. These included Pan-Africanism Reconsidered and Southern Africa in Transition. These books shared ideas and discussions from AMSAC's international conferences. They also published a quarterly magazine called African Forum. This magazine covered topics like African unity, African socialism, and the role of writers in Africa.
An Office in Nigeria
In 1961, AMSAC opened an office in Lagos, Nigeria. This was a big step to connect more directly with Africa. To celebrate, they held a two-day festival in December 1961. The festival featured music, dancing, discussions, and art from both Africans and African Americans. The Lagos office stayed open until 1966.
Why AMSAC Ended
AMSAC received money from different groups to help pay for its projects, like the big festival in Lagos. Later, it was found that some of this money came from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
After this news came out in 1967, many of AMSAC's members left. The organization became much smaller. By 1969, AMSAC stopped operating.
