Overview
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, in collaboration with Sankofa Video & Books, is pleased to present the book launch and panel discussion for Ethiopia: Modern Nation – Ancient Roots on Friday, November 28, 2025, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Sankofa Video, Books & Café, 2714 Georgia Ave NW, Washington.
This event will bring together leading scholars to discuss the book’s contributions to the study of Ethiopia’s modern history, culture, and global significance.
Panelists
- Dagmawi Woubshet – University of Pennsylvania
- Shimleis Bonsa – Stony Brook University
- Surafel Wondimu Abebe – Global Studies University
Moderator
Amsale Alemu – Howard University
Organizer
Alemayehu Gebrehiwot – Playwright and Poet
About the Book
Ethiopia: Modern Nation – Ancient Roots, edited by Dagmawi Woubshet, Elizabeth W. Giorgis, and Surafel Wondimu Abebe, spans five parts and twenty-five chapters, covering: Exceptionalism, Historiography, The Black Diasporic Imagination, Tumultuous Times, Migration and Exile, and Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts. Learn more.
Event Overview
If African modernity and modernism are intimately linked with colonialism, Ethiopia’s exceptional historical condition offers a unique lens through which to explore how Ethiopians negotiated an “independent” status quo amidst broader colonial arrangements affecting the continent. The book examines Ethiopia’s singular colonial history in relation to African political thought, highlighting the complexities of its historical, cultural, and material realities.
The panel will provide an engaging discussion of the book’s contributions, insights, and relevance for scholars, students, and readers interested in African studies, history, and culture.
The book is available for purchase online.
