William Ackah, BA, MPhil, PhD

Lecturer in Community and Voluntary Sector Studies

Contact details

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.

Areas of research supervision

• Black and ethnic minority community and voluntary sector; political and cultural movements in the African diaspora; political and community engagement of Black churches; race equality-legislation and practice.
• If you are considering applying for MPhil/PhD research in any of these areas, you are advised to contact me about your research plan before making an application.

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.