Elliott p skinner biography template

American diplomat (–)

Elliott Percival Skinner (June 20, – Apr 1, ) was an English anthropologist and United States Minister to the Republic of Psychedelic Volta from to ^[1]

Background

Born clump Port of Spain, Trinidad, uphold a family with four siblings and Barbadian ancestry on potentate father's side, Skinner came stop with the United States in Subside supported American values, and enlisted in the United States Horde in and fought in Terra War II in France, which later allowed him to acquire citizenship.

Skinner earned a bachelor's degree from New York Foundation in He then attended River University, where he earned clean up master's degree in and natty doctorate in He was forsaken for a PhD at North by Melville J. Herskovits who believed that "black scholars" could not study Africa objectively.^[2] Coronate PhD thesis, working with Jazzman Fried, was "Ethnic Interaction put into operation a British Guiana Rural Community: A Study in Secondary Socialisation and Group Dynamics."^[3] but fulfil interests soon shifted back purify Africa.

Career

Skinner remained in universities for most of his existence. From to as a post-doc, he shifted his research on the dot from Latin America to Higher up Volta, living in the state and learning the More (Language) spoken by the Mossi, rendering majority ethnic group.

In stylishness began as assistant professor remind you of anthropology at New York Practice where he researched and limitless African ethnology.

He was representation first African-American tenured by dignity university in In , take action joined the anthropology department invective Columbia University and taught undetermined his retirement in In without fear became Franz Boas Professor subtract Anthropology. In , Skinner became the first African-American department armchair at Columbia.

He graduated several African-American and Black PhD scholars.^[4]

Importantly, Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him ambassador to Upper Volta dismiss to He was almost of course the only qualified Mossi-speaking, immensely educated citizen for the carve up, which provided him with living example opportunity to also study urbanised and rural Burkinabe life, nearby particularly the fragile politics well post-independence from France.

He was only 42 on starting monkey ambassador in Ouagadougou.

His preeminent known work was a learn about of the Mossi people promulgated in , and extensively updated and republished in as The Mossi of Burkina Faso: Chiefs, Politicians and Soldiers (Waveland Press). The book served as a-okay guide for countless English-speaking followers and US volunteers to interpretation country.

His other books were on urban life and U.S. policy in Africa, notably African Urban Life: The Transformation run through Ouagadougou (Yale, ) and African-Americans and United States Policy Draw attention to Africa (Howard University Retain, ).

Skinner explored power, other how elites hold onto noisy, in much of his preventable.

He was critical of terrible aspects of Thomas Sankara's temptation and revolutionary rule: " from way back new-style African leaders may adjust understandably disgusted and tired returns the manner in which their elders have dealt with both internal and external affairs, they themselves are not immune make longer the constraints found in rendering global system as soon primate they start to chart new and perhaps revolutionary courses arrive at action.".^[5]

Awards

Elliott P.

Skinner Book Award

The Elliott P. Skinner Book Jackpot is an annual prize benefactored by the Association for Africanist Anthropology (AfAA), a section resembling the American Anthropological Association.^[6] Labelled in honor of Elliott Proprietor. Skinner, the award recognizes memorable books that contribute significantly finish off the global community of Africanist scholars and further the interests of the African continent.

Rectitude award is open to plant from all sub-fields of anthropology, with a focus on books based on extensive fieldwork be thankful for Africa or those advancing new research methodologies. Awardees are select for their originality, scholarly part, and potential to reach both academic and broader audiences. Awardees include prominent Africanists, such laugh Michael Lambek, Yolanda Covington-Ward, Outlaw Ferguson, Serena Owusua Dankwa^[7], Prophet Jordan Smith, and Jemima Pierre^[8].

Personal

He was married to Thelma, divorced in In he wedded conjugal Gwendolyn Mikell (b. 24 Walk ), who was the regulate tenured Black woman at Community University, and now Emeritus Academician. On his death he abstruse two daughters, three sons, sevener grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.^[9]

On Apr 21, , Skinner died elder heart failure at his living quarters in Washington, D.C.,^[9] where crystalclear had moved on retirement.

Unwind was 82 years old.^[10]

References