‘African Perspectives’ celebrates 25 years on the air

What started as a way to publicize the African Student Union in 1996 has become the longest-running show by the same host on WUGA-FM. Thanks to an enthusiastic audience, “African Perspectives” has been heard from car radios and throughout homes for 25 years.

Host Akinloye Ojo, an associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ comparative literature department and the director of the African Studies Institute, has spent a quarter century educating the greater Athens community about African news and culture.

“‘African Perspectives’ provides an important bridge between Athens, Georgia, and the many nations and cultures of Africa, enriching our campus and our state immeasurably,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “I am grateful for Dr. Ojo’s dedication to the University of Georgia and for all he has done to strengthen UGA’s connection to the world.”

Ojo began work on “African Perspectives” when he was a doctoral student in linguistics and served as cultural secretary of the African Student Union. “This started as a small idea. Who knew that it would last this long?” he said.

The weekly show details news, pop culture and music from across the African continent, airing on Sundays at 4 p.m. It also highlights issues facing Africans currently living in Georgia and the Southeast.

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Image: Akinloye Ojo, host of "African Perspectives," stands with a portrait created by artist Jackie Dorsey to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the show on WUGA-FM. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA)