Michigan State University to Host a Symposium on African Imperialism on Saturday

Scholars, activists and community members will come together for a forum on imperialism in Africa at Michigan State University on Saturday, April 18. The MSU African Studies Center, with support from organizations including the Peace Organization Center in East Lansing, will host the event.

“The goal is to help the public understand how imperialism, both in the past and present, continues to shape conflict, climate vulnerability, technology and everyday life in Africa, and why that matters today for global justice,” Dr. Leo Zulu, director of the MSU African Studies Center, said.

The event is free and open to the public and will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in B117 Wells Hall.

Zulu said the symposium is oriented toward learning and action, bridging history with current crises people see in the news, including those in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“You have refugee communities [in the Lansing area] that have come from the Congo region and from Sudan,” he said. “So understanding some of the causes that may have pushed them from their homes, and then how they are managing here in Michigan—for example, mental health and integration into the community—is important.”

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the event’s keynote speaker. Zulu described him as a distinguished Congolese historian, political scientist and author. Nzongola-Ntalaja wrote the foundational African studies text The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People’s History, and Zulu said he has worked with the United Nations to understand conflicts and solutions in the region.

Zulu said the symposium will center African perspectives and agency, avoiding the trope of viewing the continent as simply a victim.

“There is urgency, but there are also people doing things, there is leadership, and there are forward-looking ideas—not just external interpretations,” he said.

“What we’re trying to show is that the problems we face now often involve complex global power dynamics. Understanding those dynamics is essential—not just historically, but for what is happening now,” Zulu said. “It can also guide us toward more inclusive futures shaped by Africans and others in regions experiencing conflict.”

The uncertainty of the world is better understood when it is reported with the correct context, Zulu said. The event aims to build a more informed public that is equipped to demand accountability, ethical supply chains and more humane policies.

The event will also examine health, food security, welfare and all levels of education in Africa. An emerging issue is artificial intelligence, Zulu said, as the continent is attracting data centers without full understanding of the environmental impacts and the challenges that arise from unequal power relationships.

“We want to convey a message of hope,” Zulu said. “African societies are not passive victims. There are grassroots peacebuilding efforts and intellectual movements. African actors continue to imagine and fight for alternatives, often in partnership with people here in the U.S., including Michigan.

“We invite anyone interested in peace, global understanding and how imperialism works to come learn more—especially about the Democratic Republic of the Congo—and to think about what individuals can do to make a difference.”

Lunch will be provided for attendees, and donations are welcome.