Dr. Laura Tanna, who received her doctorate in African Languages and Literature from UW–Madison 45 years ago—before the department became African Cultural Studies—recently appeared on the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica podcast Jamaican Oral Narratives of African Heritage. Reflecting on her academic roots, she noted the pivotal role of UW–Madison in shaping her ethnographic and literary research:
“UW–Madison really supported my work in African languages and literature,” Dr. Tanna said in the podcast. “They created a department of African languages and literature… we had people from Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana… it was just wonderful.”