OU professor to be honored as 'African hero'

For the last six years, the African Student Union has honored a person who has significantly contributed to the development of Africa at its African Heroes Night.

But this year is the first year they have honored someone who is an American and an Ohio University faculty member.

At tomorrow's African Heroes Night, ASU will recognize Steve Howard, director of African Studies at OU.

Howard will give a speech at the event that will include a traditional African dinner, speeches and African entertainment such as drumming and dancing.

To be eligible to be acknowledged at African Heroes Night, a person must be an African or an Africanist, which is a non-African who has a passion for the continent, said Andrews Ofori-Birikorang, a member of the ASU and a doctoral candidate in the School of Media Arts and Studies.

Members of ASU vote on who will be honored every year. They nominate people they believe are unsung heroes who positively contribute to African advancement, Ofori-Birikorang said.

Howard has been nominated for the last three years.

This has been long awaited

he said. (Howard) has really been trying to put Africa and the children of Africa into the academic mainstream.

During his time as director, Howard has tried to encourage research about Africa at OU and started the Institute for The African Child to focus on problems affecting youths in Africa like healthcare and education, Ofori-Birikorang said.

Howard has also recruited and served as a mentor for many African students who have gone back to Africa and gotten jobs helping people in their hometowns, said Flecher Ziwoya, president of the African Student Union and a Ph.D. student in the College of Communication.

He is a person worth recognizing Ziwoya said. He's doing research and recruiting students and that's what the continent needs right now.

Howard grew up in Boston and went to college in the United States, but got bit by the Africa bug when he was working in Chad with the Peace Corps. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology and African Studies and has been director of African Studies since 1991.

Howard said he spent five years living in Sudan and has traveled to about half of the other African countries.

I am deeply honored (to be recognized) because I've been here at OU since the inception of this honor and I've been to all these dinners

so I was very surprised and delighted and amused all at once

Howard said.