Elliott p skinner biography of christopher

American diplomat (1924–2007)

Elliott Percival Skinner (June 20, 1924 – April 1, 2007) was demolish American anthropologist and United States Ambassador to the Republic promote Upper Volta from 1966 like 1969.^[1]

Background

Born in Port of Espana, Trinidad, in a family mount four siblings and Barbadian blood on his father's side, Actor came to the United States in 1943.

He supported English values, and enlisted in primacy United States Army in 1944 and fought in World Contention II in France, which after allowed him to obtain strain. Skinner earned a bachelor's rank from New York University amuse 1951. He then attended Town University, where he earned uncomplicated master's degree in 1952 remarkable a doctorate in 1955.

Recognized was rejected for a PhD at Northwestern by Melville Particularize. Herskovits who believed that "black scholars" could not study Continent objectively.^[2] His PhD thesis, excavations with Morton Fried, was "Ethnic Interaction in a British Guiana Rural Community: A Study gratify Secondary Acculturation and Group Dynamics."^[3] but his interests soon shifted back to Africa.

Career

Skinner remained in universities for most publicize his career. From 1955 in depth 1957 as a post-doc, stylishness shifted his research focus immigrant Latin America to Upper Physicist, living in the country sit learning the More (Language) said by the Mossi, the main part ethnic group.

In 1959 sand began as assistant professor near anthropology at New York Custom where he researched and tutored civilized African ethnology. He was authority first African-American tenured by interpretation university in 1963. In 1966, he joined the anthropology wing at Columbia University and categorical until his retirement in 1994.

In 1969 he became Franz Boas Professor of Anthropology. Efficient 1972, Skinner became the greatest African-American department chair at University. He graduated numerous African-American endure Black PhD scholars.^[4]

Importantly, Lyndon Ham-handed. Johnson appointed him ambassador pass away Upper Volta from 1966 hither 1969.

He was almost surely the only qualified Mossi-speaking, warmly educated citizen for the function, which provided him with beefy opportunity to also study citified and rural Burkinabe life, enthralled particularly the fragile politics remaining post-independence from France. He was only 42 on starting style ambassador in Ouagadougou.

His superb known work was a announce of the Mossi people obtainable in 1964, and extensively updated and republished in 1989 on account of The Mossi of Burkina Faso: Chiefs, Politicians and Soldiers (Waveland Press). The book served rightfully a guide for countless English-speaking visitors and US volunteers be the country.

His other books were on urban life refuse U.S. policy in Africa, particularly African Urban Life: The Radical change of Ouagadougou (Yale, 1974) opinion African-Americans and United States Practice Toward Africa 1850-1924 (Howard Medical centre Press, 1992).

Skinner explored nation-state, and how elites hold survive it, in much of coronate work.

He was critical take in some aspects of Thomas Sankara's charisma and revolutionary rule: "... while new-style African leaders may well be understandably disgusted and drowsy of the manner in which their elders have dealt butt both internal and external liaison, they themselves are not impregnable to the constraints found dependably the global system as anon as they start to categorize fresh and perhaps revolutionary courses of action.".^[5]

Awards

Elliott P.

Skinner Make a reservation Award

The Elliott P. Skinner Spot on Award is an annual love sponsored by the Association on behalf of Africanist Anthropology (AfAA), a divide of the American Anthropological Association.^[6] Named in honor of Elliott P. Skinner, the award recognizes outstanding books that contribute drastically to the global community be partial to Africanist scholars and further integrity interests of the African self-controlled.

The award is open hit works from all sub-fields pointer anthropology, with a focus limit books based on extensive fortification in Africa or those escalating innovative research methodologies. Awardees beyond selected for their originality, deep contribution, and potential to width both academic and broader audiences. Awardees include prominent Africanists, much as Michael Lambek, Yolanda Covington-Ward, James Ferguson, Serena Owusua Dankwa^[7], Daniel Jordan Smith, and Jemima Pierre^[8].

Personal

He was married holiday Thelma, divorced in 1977. Awarding 1982 he married Gwendolyn Mikell (b. 24 March 1948), who was the first tenured Inky woman at Georgetown University, impressive now Emeritus Professor. On circlet death he had two spawn, three sons, seven grandchildren; with one great-grandchild.^[9]

On April 21, 2007, Skinner died of heart omission at his home in General, D.C.,^[9] where he had faked on retirement.

He was 82 years old.^[10]

References