The lecture series continues to grow and fulfill the objective of focusing attention of the University and the Athens community on Africa and the African Diaspora. The series is presently jointly sponsored by the African Studies Institute (ASI) and the African American Studies Institute (AFAM) has featured UGA faculty members and others as speakers over the years. Historically, the series is the outgrowth of the African Studies Institute’s 'Africatalk' lunch lecture program (2001 – 2007). Africatalk emerged as a product of the communal spirit of sharing amongst the ASI faculty. One of the primary motivations for the establishment of the series was the provision of a platform within the African Studies Institute for sharing ideas and research findings. The majority of the presentations during the first season of Africatalk were published in 2004 as a book, ‘Vocalizing Africa: Perspectives on Governance, Education, Resource Management and Health in Africa’ edited by Akinloye Ojo. In August 2007, ASI, AFAM and the African American Cultural Center (AACC) began a discussion on possible collaboration on the lunch series. This resulted in the commencement of a new brown bag lecture series, APERO: Africana Brown Bag Lecture Series. The newer series was formally launched in the Spring of 2008 with Dr. Freda Scott Giles (Drama) and Dr. Akinloye Ojo (Comparative Literature) as program coordinators. The series is now in its fifth year and the lectures are still scheduled mostly for Wednesdays but arrangements could be made to accommodate other needs. The three units are particularly grateful to Dr. Freda Scott Giles who has worked tirelessly to keep the APERO series going since its launching in 2008. ASI members can participate in three ways. First is signing up to present on one of the Wednesdays. Second is recruiting speakers (local and beyond) for the series. And finally, attending some of the presentations and maybe inviting others too.
