Herskovits
Cliff
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Obama Collectibles From Africa on Display and in Scholarly Collection
The Herskovits Library has expanded an exhibition of items from its Africa's
Response to Obama collection.
EVANSTON, Ill. --- For every Obama T-shirt, Obama handbag and pair of Obama
pajamas created in this country, there are Obama collectibles created in Africa.
And the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University -- the
largest library of Africana anywhere in the world -- is intently collecting
them.
Northwestern's Herskovits Library has assembled what is undoubtedly the largest
collection of Obama T-shirts, CDs, buttons, bumper stickers, artwork, posters
and other materials created in Africa. And, just in time for the inauguration,
it has expanded an exhibition of items from its Africa's Response to Obama
collection and extended it through Feb. 27.
Packages of Obama items from Africa arrive almost daily at Herskovits Library
curator David Easterbrook's office. As early as 2007, he put out the word to
scholars, students and African contacts that he was collecting materials to
document the African response to Obama's candidacy and election. A recent BBC
Africa interview he did about the collection prompted a steady stream of Obama
merchandise and media.
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