William Ackah, BA, MPhil, PhD

Lecturer in Community and Voluntary Sector Studies

Contact details

Department of Social Policy and Education
Birkbeck, University of London
26 Russell Square
London WC1B 5DQ
email: w.ackah@bbk.ac.uk
tel: 020 3073 8354

Employment history

Before coming to Birkbeck I was the head of widening participation at the University of Bristol (2003-2005), and prior to that I was the equality and diversity manager at the Learning and Skills Council Gloucestershire (2002-2003).

I have worked as an academic at a number of Higher Education institutions, teaching Race Equality Studies, Sociology and Politics at Edge Hill College of Higher Education, Liverpool Hope University and University of Liverpool respectively (1994-2002).

I have worked in and with the voluntary and community sector since 1992 in the areas of education, European funding and faith-based community work. I have sat on, and continue to work with, a number of partnership boards and policy-making forums primarily developing strategies and policies related to black and minority ethnic community development.

Recently completed/current research

My interests revolve around politics and community development in the African Diaspora.

I am currently working on a project on the political and community engagement of black churches in the African Diaspora as well as as working on a book project on black community politics and identity in the UK.

Publications

Books

1999(Nov) Pan-Africanism: Exploring the Contradictions: Politics, Identity and Development in Africa and the African Diaspora. Aldershot, Ashgate.
1997 Ackah, W.and Christian, M. (ed) Black Organisation and Identity in Liverpool: A Local, National and Global Perspective. Liverpool, Charles Wootton College.

Journal articles

2009 ‘Africa and Fortress Europe’ book review Perspectives on European Politics and Society
2008 ‘Black Power in the Belly of the Beast’ book review Ethnic and Racial Studies 20.1.
2001 ‘Do the Ties Still Bind: Reflections on Pan-African Consciousness and Identity in the Twentieth Century’. Africa Quarterly 40.1.

Chapters in Books

2009 ‘The Intersection of African Identities in the 21st Century: Old and New Diasporas and the African Continent.’ In Airewele, P.S. and Edozie, R.K. (eds) Reframing Contemporary Africa: Politics, Economics and Culture in the Global Era. Washington, CQ. submitted 08 to be published July 09.
2003 with Newman, J. ‘Ghanaian Seventh Day Adventists on and offline: problematising the virtual communities discourse.’ In Karim, H.K. The Media of Diaspora, New York, Routledge.
2002 (Nov) ‘Pan-Africanism: Reflections on an era in M.Christian(ed) Black Identity in the Twentieth Century. London, Hansib.
1996 ‘What is Black Studies?’ in Torkington N.P.K.(ed) The Social Construction of Knowledge: A Case for Black Studies. Liverpool, Liverpool Hope.
1996 ‘The Complexities of the Black Experience in Theory and Practice.’ in Torkington, N.P.K.(ed) The Social Construction of Knowledge: A Case for Black Studies. Liverpool, Liverpool, Hope.

Conference Papers

Faith of our Fathers? Reflections and Reactions to Pan-African Christian Identities Past and Present. Association for the Study of the World Wide African Diaspora, Accra, Ghana, August 2009.
Divided Diasporas: Collaboration and Conflict amongst African Caribbean and African Christian Communities in Britain. The Case of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.’ Given at ESRC/AHRC Encounters and Intersections: Religion, Diaspora and Ethnicities conference. St Catherine’s College Oxford. July 2008
‘Towards a Multi Level Understanding of Minority Ethnic Political Activity in Local Contexts.’ Given at International Sociological Association Research agenda 21 conference, University of British Columbia Vancouver. August 2007
‘Struggling to cope with change: The case of Unsuccessful and Unengaged Minority Ethnic Community Organisations in Liverpool and Manchester and European Structural Funds’. NCVO/VSSN Conference University of Warwick Sept 2006.
‘Comfortable in the skin you’re in? Playing the Racialisation Game in Black Community Organisations in Liverpool and Manchester’. CRONEM, University of Roehampton July 2006
‘Reflections on Pan-African Consciousness and Identity in Africa and the African Diaspora in the Twentieth Century’. Henry Sylvester Williams and Pan-Africanism, University of the West Indies, Trinidad Jan 2001.
‘Diasporas of Faith: Exploring Ethnic and Religious Identity in the Ghanaian Seventh Day Adventist Community in Britain’. ESRC New African Diasporas, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, May 2000

Research Projects/Grants

Nov 2008 Linking London Lifelong Learning Network Project. Advice and Guidance for Community Development Workers £15,000.
Oct 2008 Linking London Lifelong Learning Network. Identifying provision and progression routes in Community Development. £15,000
Dec 2007- Feb 2009 The Politics of Black Church Community Engagement. Faculty of Lifelong Learning £1000.

Community and Voluntary Activities

Jan 2009 to current: Board member of Race on the Agenda. A social policy think tank specialising in race equality issues in London. A member of the equalities sub-committee.
Sept 2005 to Dec 2007: Chair of the Black and Minority Ethnic Education Strategy Group. Led the Aim higher project on Black and Minority Ethnic Pupils and Higher Education.
May 2002 to 2004: Co-founder and member of the Black Education Action Network. A group of education specialists and community activists working on initiatives to raise aspirations and educational attainment in black communities.

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