Abdul Alkalimat
Abdul Alkalimat wants to help raise public awareness of African American history, especially in the state of Illinois and the town of New Philadelphia, in which he is a descendant of the town's founders.
Abdul Alkalimat (born Gerald McWorter) is a founder of the field of Black Studies and author of many books and papers about Black liberation. A lifelong scholar-activist, he wrote the first college textbook for the field, Introduction to Afro-American Studies, which has seen seven editions, the last one free and online.
Presentation 1 of 2
Available
Seven Ways to Freedom: The McWorters and their 1836 town of New Philadelphia, Illinois
Frank and Lucy McWorter founded the town of New Philadelphia in west-central Illinois which is today a national park. Their family lived a freedom story in seven ways:
- They bought 16 family members out of slavery.
- They fought in the Civil War.
- They ran to Canada.
- They helped others run.
- They founded a town that became a stop on the Underground Railroad.
- They got an Illinois law passed to protect their family’s freedom.
- And they lived free, 20 miles from slavery in Missouri.
These extraordinary deeds reflected extraordinary times, simultaneous with Indian wars and removal, the spread of slavery and abolitionism, and Illinois as a contested but free-labor state.
This presentation covers all this while also encouraging the audience to learn their own family history, how it connects with the nation’s freedom narrative, and why this matters today. Abdul's practice is to present the story and then draw the audience into a discussion amongst all present, something more dynamic than a straight Q and A.
This presentation aligns with the Illinois America 250 Commission's theme “We the People.” This theme invites us to explore ideas of who has been included and who has been left out of the nation’s promise, as well as how people from all backgrounds have shaped and reshaped what it means to be part of “the people.” The Illinois America 250 Commission's goals are to uplift local stories, places, and programs; build pride; and showcase how Illinois brings the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to life.
Audience Recommendations
This program will be of interest to a diverse group of people, from teens to seniors. Local history groups, local educators and entire classes would be a terrific connection since these historical processes unfolded all over Illinois and this is foundational Illinois and U.S. history.
Program Logistics
This presentation can fit in 45-60 minutes, with 15-30 minutes for discussion, according to the host's preferences. It can be presented with or without the slides brought on a flash drive; they are full of images and convey the story in more dimensions. A laptop, data projector, and screen would be optimal and should be provided by the host, as well as a microphone and amplification, depending on the space. Audio and video recording of this presentation is welcome.
Presentation 2 of 2
Available
Black People and the Knowledge They Created: The History of Black Studies
From the time they arrived here, Black people in communities created knowledge about themselves that eventually led to the creation of a new field of study known as Black Studies. This included various waves of cultural creators and institutions such as bookstores that served broad audiences. It also included the first wave of African Americans writing doctoral dissertations. And it certainly has included the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
These intellectual powerhouses enabled numerous social movements to then study and teach about the Black experience: the freedom movement, the Black Power movement, the Black arts movement, the socialist movement, the women’s movement, and the student movement. These movements in turn inspired Black Studies becoming a formal academic profession, attracting students of all kinds and even spreading worldwide.
This presentation and the following discussion makes the case for diversity, equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT). It encourages audience members to reflect on and share their own pathways to knowledge, often passing through Black Studies or other DEI/CRT projects, whether identified as such or not.
Audience Recommendations
This program will be of interest to a diverse group of people, from teens to seniors. Everyone could learn and share how Black Studies and other community-rooted fields arose and continue to make meaning for people today.
Program Logistics
This presentation can fit in 45-60 minutes, with 15-30 minutes for discussion, according to the host's preferences. It can be presented with or without the slides brought on a flash drive; they are full of images and convey the story in more dimensions. A laptop, data projector, and screen would be optimal and should be provided by the host, as well as a microphone and amplification, depending on the space. Audio and video recording of this presentation is welcome.
Bio
Based in Urbana, IL
Abdul Alkalimat (born Gerald McWorter) is an emeritus professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, he has held professorships at various universities in both African American Studies and Library and Information Science. He has also been active in movements for social justice, from the 1960s Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to the 1990s Black Radical Congress.
Abdul edited H-AfroAm, the LISTSERV for Black Studies, for 15 years, and continues this work with a weekly blog post for the field called abdulslist. Among his books are The History of Black Studies, The Future of Black Studies, Paradigms in Black Studies, and The African American Experience in Cyberspace. With much respect to his great-great-grandparents Frank and Lucy McWorter, he co-authored New Philadelphia with his wife Kate Williams-McWorter.
Learn More and Follow Abdul
Book this Road Scholar
Follow the steps below to book a presentation.
- Contact Abdul to schedule a date and time via email at mcworter@illinois.edu.
- Once you and Abdul have agreed upon a date and time, complete the online Road Scholars Host Organization application.
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