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Representative of the
Institute of Development and Education for Africa
(IDEA) had the opportunity to visit ALAADS on
September 7, 2006 at the invitation of Dr. Charles
Mate-Cole, professor of psychology and director of
the Center for Africana Studies (CAS) at Central
Connecticut State University (CCSU) where ALAADS
is located. Incidentally, ALAADS led by Dr. Warren
R. Perry and CAS presided over by professor
Mate-Cole, operate jointly and they are housed in
Marcus White Hall, 1615 Stanley Street Room 008.
IDEA representative, Dr.
Ghelawdewos Araia, also met several faculty
members, diligent and studios Africana scholar
students at CAS, and the wonderful Ms. Janet
Woodruff who meticulously and lucidly explained
the mission and objectives of CAS and ALAADS. In
due course of her conversation with Dr. Araia,
Janet underscored the necessity and significance
of recapturing the experience of the African
Diaspora in Connecticut and the United States. In
point of fact, IDEA learned from Ms. Woodruff that
ALAADS conducted a successful DNA testing of
African Diaspora remains in Salem, Connecticut.
IDEA simply believes that
the scholars and academics at ALAADS and CAS are
engaged in a very exciting and educational project
and they deserve not only a huge acclaim, but also
an adequate, if not huge, funding to meet the
goals of their respective projects. The State of
Connecticut, the federal government of the United
States, and philanthropists should wholeheartedly
support these fine institutions at CCSU and extend
their hands in terms of actual funding.
So that IDEA subscribers
get a flavor of the mission and objectives of
ALAADS and CAS, here below is the information
directly taken from the brochure of the
Archaeology Laboratory and the Center for Africana
Studies:
The Archaeology Laboratory
for African and African Diaspora Studies (ALAADS)
is the first archeology laboratory in the U. S.
affiliated with an African Studies center.
CCSU�s Field School in Historical Archaeology
uses ALAADS� facilities for artifact processing
and curation.
ALAADS sponsors the annual
Student Conference on African Diaspora Archeology,
Robert N. Aebersold Student Conference
on African Diaspora Archaeology, where
students present original research to an audience
of faculty, students, and the community.
ALAADS projects currently
in development include:
�
Excavation of a root cellar/tunnel
in Weston, CT, that may have been part of the
Underground Railroad
�
Working with preservationists and
Trinity College to salvage an 18th
century Hartford dwelling for possible reuse as an
African Heritage Cultural Center
�
Mural project with students and
faculty of CCSU�s Art Department
�
Cooperative and student exchange
programs with universities and organizations in
Nova Scotia, Canada, and Liverpool, England,
exploring their historic African presence
ALAADS
actively seeks affiliations with community
organizations and other academic institutions
interested in African Diaspora Archaeology.
The
lab works in partnership with the International
Preservation Trades Network (IPTN), a professional
association devoted to conserving historic
buildings.
Some of the archaeological research projects
headquartered at ALAADS:
�
The New Salem Plantation
Archaeological Project
�
The New York African Burial Ground
Archaeology Report
�
The Connecticut Minkisi Project
For
further information, please contact ALAADS:
By Phone: 860.832.2813
By email: Dr. Warren Perry perryw@CCSU.edu,
Gerald F. Sawyer sawyerj@CCSU.edu,
Janet Woodruff woodruffj@ccsu.edu
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