ATLAS is a focal point for the study of African languages, history, contemporary issues, and research at the University of Maryland2026 ARHU Dean's Lecture Series with Angélique Kidjo
Five-time Grammy Award winner and humanitarian Angélique Kidjo sits down with College of Arts and Humanities Dean Stephanie Shonekan for a poignant conversation about music, cultural fluency and global advocacy. Named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world and “Africa’s premier diva,” Kidjo hails from Benin and blends musical traditions from West Africa and around the globe while incorporating multiple languages, including her own personal musical language.
During this special evening, Dean Shonekan and Kidjo will explore the artist’s music and how the singer has used her fame as a platform for humanitarian work as an ambassador for both Oxfam and UNICEF and a founder of the Batonga Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing girls’ education across Africa.
From October 22-25th, 2026 the international Universities Studying Slavery (USS) consortium will host its fall conference in College Park on the campus of the University of Maryland. The conference is organized by The 1856 Project, whose members include historians, archivists, librarians, and community members. This project interprets the history of slavery at UMD and the larger African American experience at the university and in the state of Maryland.