After being in competition with several other historically black universities, Tuskegee University is now the permanent home for the impressive library of African studies manuscripts collected by the late Dr. James Anthony Pritchett, a preeminent scholar in the field. Comprised of nearly 1,400 separate publications, the collection makes Tuskegee a research destination as home of one of the country’s largest HBCU-based African studies collections.
Materials comprising the Pritchett Collection will be of interest to those studying and researching African diaspora — including agriculture, literature, migration, politics and culture. Thiam indicted housing this diverse collection of classic and rare publications is an achievement for up-and-coming academic programs and research at Tuskegee. These include developing a minor in African studies, supporting agricultural research and outreach partnerships in African countries, and on-campus courses focused on African literature and culture.
The collection will permanently reside at Tuskegee’s Ford Motor Company Library — where researchers can review individual manuscripts in person or borrow them through interlibrary loan. Among the collection’s signature pieces are the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) General History of Africa collection and the African Studies Review collection.
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