History
Edward Onaci
Department Chair, Associate Professor of History
Edward Onaci teaches courses on African American history, modern U.S. history, women’s global political struggles, social movements and music in Africa and its diaspora, and more. They incorporate interdisciplinary scholarship and emphasize student empowerment. Dr. Onaci’s instruction also makes use of creative resources and high impact tools, such as Reacting to the Past and Digital Liberal Arts projects. His approach encourages students to take ownership over their personal and group studies, produce their own knowledge, and apply what they learn in class to their current lives and future ambitions.
Department
Degrees
- B.A., Virginia State University
- M.A., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Teaching
- African history
- African American history
- Modern United States History
- Violence and terrorism in the United States
- Firearms
- Social movements
- Music, technology, and political empowerment
- Activist women’s life writing
- African American intellectual history
Research Interests
New Afrikan Independence Movement
The Republic of New Afrika
Gender and Feminist Theory
Citizenship and nationalism
Music and DJ technologies
Firearms and social movements
Recent Work
Free the Land: The Republic of New Afrika and the Pursuit of a Black Nation-State. The University of North Carolina Press, 2020.
“Reparations.” Black Power Encyclopedia: From the “Black is Beautiful” to Urban Uprisings. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2018.
“The Provisional Government of Republic of New Afrika.” Black Power Encyclopedia: From the “Black is Beautiful” to Urban Uprisings. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2018.
“Black Power, Name Choices, and Self-Determination.” Black Perspectives (blog). August 25, 2016. http://www.aaihs.org/black-power-name-choices-and-self-determination/.
“‘I Can Be Your Sun, You Can Be My Earth’: Masculinity, Hip Hop, and the Nation of Gods and Earths.” Message in the Music: Hip Hop, HIstory, and Pedagogy. Edited by Derrick P. Alridge, V.P. Franklin, and James B. Stewart. Washington, D.C.: Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2010.
Recent Conference Presentations
|
October 2016 |
“Territorial Nationalism, “Paper-citizens,” and The Republic of New Afrika.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History 101st Annual Meeting, Richmond, VA. |
|
March 2016 |
“‘Free the Land’: The Republic of New Afrika, Nationalist Thought, and Land-based Political Struggle During the Black Power Era.” African American Intellectual History Society First Annual Conference, Chapel Hill, NC. |
|
September 2015 |
“The Republic of New Afrika, Independence Struggle and International Solidarity During the Black Power Era.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History 100th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA. |