I’ll put money on that you’ve heard of the American Bar Association (ABA) or even the American Medical Association (AMA). But have you ever heard of the AAA? And I’m not talking about the American Automobile Association. I’m talking about the American Anthropological Association, (AAA) which is the largest association of anthropologists in the world. In my role as AAA president, I get to see up close and personal the extraordinary day-in-and-day-out effort of staff and volunteers in making big things happen that are important to anthropologists and to the world. In what follows is a taste of the rich array of AAA programs, actions and activities.
The 10,000 anthropologists who are AAA members turn to their association to advocate for their profession, which—as you know—is the science that studies humankind in all its aspects. A key goal is to advance the interests of anthropologists by disseminating anthropological knowledge and helping all of us use that knowledge to solve human problems. These are ambitious and admirable goals that reflect why many of us have become anthropologists in the first place. In this day and age when “alternative facts” (i.e., lies) are pushed by the most powerful of U.S. leaders and when information comes to us from many unreliable places, it is good to know there are some trustworthy sources to turn to. AAA is one such place. Let me share more: With 20+ titles published in print and online, AAA is the largest single publisher of anthropological journals. AAA hosts AnthroSource, a digital, searchable database containing past, present and future AAA publications, with more than 250,000 articles from AAA journals, newsletters, bulletins and monographs in a single place. You can access AnthroSource electronically through John Jay College online library. AnthroSource is fascinating: you can get articles published in 1898, 1928 and 1998. You can read “Rethinking Public Anthropologies in the Digital Age” published in January 2017 or “Are Human Rights Merely a Politicized Luxury in the World Today?” published in March 1980. In terms of getting the anthropological word out, the Association does even more. There’s Open Anthropology, AAA’s first digital-only, public journal that covers such contemporary topics as Race and Racism, Violence, Cultural Heritage, Migration, Marriage, and more. Please check these out. In addition, AAA offers incredibly relevant reports freely available on the AAA website on Climate Change, Israel-Palestine and Education. If that’s not enough, please let me share some of what we’ve been up to this year. Our annual gathering of 6000 anthropologists met a few months ago where we got to hear the incredible Melissa Harris-Perry give opening remarks, which you can glimpse in this short video. In addition, we are working to produce a public education initiative we call “World on the Move: 100,000 Years of Human Migration,” a topic more relevant now than even before. When it’s completed, World on the Move will have a series of public programs, from a traveling museum exhibit to story gathering, story telling and story sharing events. Also, between January 2016 and 2017, we have engaged in no fewer than forty advocacy efforts reflecting our concerns about harmful and draconian state policies and practices, violations of human rights, academic freedom and indigenous rights, and the systemic and structural violence of racialization. Most recently, AAA has been very active in responding to Donald Trump’s various statements and “promises” during the election season – not least those that attack the value of critical thinking and scientific knowledge, and the new administration’s actions in its first two weeks that constitute threats to human rights, human dignity and academic freedom. This includes the threat of building a wall to separate “U.S.” from our Mexican neighbors, the idea of which goes against any moral or practical reason. In the wake of the 2016 national elections, AAA issued an important resolution on November 30 (2016) rejecting hostilities that threaten personal and intellectual diversity, reaffirming commitment to free inquiry, urging members to stand in solidarity with those threatened or attacked, encouraging members to engage local organizations for positive ends, promising to work in cooperation with organizations on these issues, and committing to advocating for policies that uphold our core values. Since then, AAA has taken the following actions:
You can imagine it takes quite a lot of time, energy and resources to see our many goals accomplished. As budding anthropologists, you might consider lending support by joining forces with us by becoming a member of the American Anthropological Association (annual dues for undergraduates is $35). At first glance, the Association may seem inaccessible—large, complicated and unapproachable. I can assure you that AAA will welcome you warmly and appreciate your participation. I hope you find this informative and inspiring. Please follow AAA on Facebook and on Twitter: @AmericanAnthro and @anthroprez! Yours truly, Alisse Waterston Presidential Scholar and Professor of Anthropology anthropology@johnjaycollege
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