Africa as a Second Class Citizen: When Will Things Finally Fall Apart?

Abstract

<jats:p>Three years ago I presented a paper on the canonical status of African literature at a conference on canonicity sponsored by Binghamton University. As the only paper on African literature at the conference, my paper, like an orphan, was placed in the care of a panel on <jats:italic>German</jats:italic> literature. Although my paper was the last to be given in the <jats:italic>last</jats:italic> session on the <jats:italic>last</jats:italic> day of the conference, its reading was well attended and enthusiastically received by colleagues, all non-Africanists, who have a real interest in learning and disseminating more information about a body of literature outside the scope of their own research.</jats:p>