Origins of Transforming Anthropology: Sheila Walker on how “News from the Natives” became TA
Channel: Irma McClaurin
Date: 2021-12-05

Sheila Walker, a practicing, cultural, and visual anthropologist, researcher, writer,  and documentary filmmaker of the African Diaspora in Latin America and globally speaks on the origins of Transforming Anthropology (TA), the refereed Journal of Association of Black Anthropologists. She traces its origins from the mimeographed “News from the Natives” in 1973 to “Notes from the ABA” to Transforming Anthropology, a publication. In 1997, Editor Irma McClaurin changed the name from “Publication” to “Journal.” One focus of “News” was to highlight the Black Elders in Anthropology, and affirm that there was a rich Black anthropology intellectual tradition.

Walker was interviewed in her home by Irma McClaurin for “The Black Feminist Archive Pandemic Preservation Project,” funded by the 2021 Wenner Gren Foundation’s Global Initiative Grant (GIG). A goal of the grant is to preserve the contributions of Black women Practicing Anthropologists who work outside academia. Filmed Nov. 21, 2021, Washington, DC. (c)Irma McClaurin. All Rights Reserved.