Nah Dove facts for kids

Nah Dove, born in the 1940s, is a talented author, speaker, and expert in African-American studies. She has lived in many countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Canada, and the UK. Currently, she is a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA. There, she teaches about African and African American studies.

Nah Dove has written several important books. Her book Afrikan Mothers: Bearers of Culture, Makers of Social Change came out in 1998. She also co-wrote Being Human Being: Transforming the Race Discourse in 2021 with Dr. Molefi Kete Asante. Another book, The Afrocentric School: A Blueprint, was published in 2021. She also contributed to the book New Daughters of Africa in 2019. This book was put together by Margaret Busby.

Nah Dove's Early Life and Education

Nah Dove's father was from Ghana, and her mother was English. She spent her early childhood in West Africa. Later, her family moved to Britain. In an interview from 2015, she shared that she found England challenging. She felt like she didn't fit in, especially at school.

Nah Dove became a mother in her early twenties. After a second marriage ended, she raised six children on her own. She proudly calls herself a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. When she was 40, she went to college at the Polytechnic of North London. In 1990, she received a scholarship to study sociology at the Institute of Education. Her studies focused on the education of Black children.

Studying in the United States

A civil rights activist named Ida Mae Holland encouraged Nah Dove to continue her studies. They met in London at a play. Nah Dove then decided to move to the United States. She focused her research on African culture, women, and education. She earned her PhD in American studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo).

After getting her PhD, she became a professor at SUNY Buffalo. She also taught at Temple University and Penn State University in Pennsylvania. Later, she moved to teach at Medgar Evers Community University in New York. In 2019, Nah Dove joined the faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia. She is now an assistant professor there.

Important Books and Writings

Nah Dove's 1998 book, Afrikan Mothers, is highly praised. Cecile Wright from Nottingham Trent University said it offers a strong look at how African women fight against racism and unfair schooling. She noted that the book shares rich details and smart ideas. It is considered a very important book for anyone studying African cultures, women's issues, or education.

Another expert, Kariamu Welsh Asante, also praised the book. She said that Dr. Dove writes as a mother, activist, and scholar. This mix makes her work humble and strong. Afrikan Mothers: Bearers of Culture, Makers of Social Change was named Best Scholarly Book in 1999. This award came from the Association of Nubian Kemetic Heritage of the United States.

Nah Dove has also written many articles and chapters for other books. These include entries for the Encyclopedia of African Cultural Heritage in North America and the Encyclopedia of Black Studies. She also contributed to the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa. Interestingly, her aunt, Mabel Dove-Danquah, was featured in an earlier book called Daughters of Africa (1992).

Books by Nah Dove

• Afrikan Mothers: Bearers of Culture, Makers of Social Change, published in 1998.
• The Afrocentric School [a blueprint], published in 2021.
• Being Human Being: Transforming the Race Discourse, published in 2021.

Articles and Chapters

Nah Dove has written many articles for academic journals. These include:

• "Education and Culture: The Crisis of the African Intellectual" in Urban Education (1996).
• "African Womanism: An Afrocentric Theory" in Journal of Black Studies (1998).
• "Defining a Mother-Centered Matrix to Analyze the Status of Women" in Journal of Black Studies (2002).
• "A Return to Traditional Health Care Practices: A Ghanaian Study" in Journal of Black Studies (2010).
• "Race Revisited: Against a Cultural Construction bearing Significant Implications" in International Journal of African Renaissance Studies (2018).