“Afrocentric Obama” book to be launched in Ghana

A book that seeks to answer questions pertaining to Obama’s legacy, African heritage and values is set to be launched in Accra on October 8, 2016, at the British Council.

The book, titled “The Afrocentric Obama and lessons on political campaigning”, authored by Dr. Godwin Etse Sikanku, has a core purpose to present Obama from a less researched perspective. “The Afrocentric Obama and lessons on political campaigning” makes the argument that we can only fully understand Barack Obama as a president, a politician and an individual if we investigate his African roots.

The book is a systematic foray into understanding the persona, thinking and underlying impulses and governance of President Obama as he leaves office.

This book can be said to be an Afrocentric guide to President Obama as it analyzes his philosophical and theoretical impulses from a fresh and less-examined viewpoint, the Afrocentric framework.

According to the author, the book does not argue that Obama is African but through a systematic analysis of original data including some major speeches, texts and newspaper representations, it suggests that one of the less researched areas of Obama’s identity-his African heritage, may contribute to a holistic understanding of one of the defining national and global political figures of the 21st century.

The book has received many positive reviews from acclaimed personalities such as Stephen J. Berry (a Pulitzer award winning journalist) and Dr. Bossman Asare (Head of Political Science Department, Legon). “Dr. Sikanku has written a master-piece that will influence people of all walks of life-politicians, media practitioners, students and the pessimists. This work will surely shape political campaigning globally for years”, said Bossman Asare.

The book was first launched on September 9, 2016, at the University of Iowa. It was later launched and reviewed at the Iowa State University, University of Pennsylvania and Havard University. Dignitaries from the Clergy, Academics and Political Parties are expected to grace the launch in Accra.

About the Author

Dr. Godwin Etse Sikanku obtained his PhD in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa. He holds a Master’s degree from the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University and a BA in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon.

He received the 2011 outstanding doctoral student award for research from the University of Iowa. He has worked as a broadcast journalist for Citi FM, a copy editor at Greenlee, and a campus reporter for the Iowa State Daily.

He has also served as Ghana’s representative to the Commonwealth Youth Caucus. His academic career includes teaching appointments at the University of Ghana, Department of Communication Studies and the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He frequently contributes to public discourse in Ghana as a media and political analyst.