619:
495:
508:
625:
561:
501:
262:'s charisma and revolutionary rule: "... while new-style African leaders may be understandably disgusted and tired of the manner in which their elders have dealt with both internal and external affairs, they themselves are not immune to the constraints found in the global system as soon as they start to chart fresh and perhaps revolutionary courses of action.".
231:
In 1959 he began as assistant professor of anthropology at New York
University where he researched and taught African ethnology. He was the first African-American tenured by the university in 1963. In 1966, he joined the anthropology department at Columbia University and taught until his retirement
204:
in 1952 and a doctorate in 1955. He was rejected for a PhD at
Northwestern by Melville J. Herskovits who believed that "black scholars" could not study Africa objectively. His PhD thesis, working with Morton Fried, was "Ethnic Interaction in a British Guiana Rural Community: A Study in Secondary
239:
appointed him ambassador to Upper Volta from 1966 to 1969. He was almost certainly the only qualified Mossi-speaking, highly educated citizen for the role, which provided him with ample opportunity to also study urban and rural
Burkinabe life, and particularly the fragile politics of
232:
in 1994. In 1969 he became Franz Boas
Professor of Anthropology. In 1972, Skinner became the first African-American department chair at Columbia. He graduated numerous African-American and Black PhD scholars.
698:
407:
Skinner, E. (1988). Sankara and the
Burkinabé Revolution: Charisma and Power, Local and External Dimensions. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 26(3), 437-455. doi:10.1017/S0022278X0001171X
713:
247:(Waveland Press). The book served as a guide for countless English-speaking visitors and US volunteers to the country. His other books were on urban life and U.S. policy in Africa, notably
708:
718:
278:
180:, in a family with four siblings and Barbadian ancestry on his father's side, Skinner came to the United States in 1943. He supported American values, and enlisted in the
329:"The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project Ralph J. Bunch Legacy: Minority Officers AMBASSADOR ELLIOTT PERCIVAL SKINNER"
602:
545:
664:
466:
34:
339:
216:
Skinner remained in universities for most of his career. From 1955 to 1957 as a post-doc, he shifted his research focus from Latin
America to
296:
He was married to Thelma, divorced in 1977. In 1982 he married
Gwendolyn Mikell (b. 24 March 1948), who was the first tenured Black woman at
723:
693:
703:
728:
595:
738:
538:
300:, and now Emeritus Professor. On his death he had two daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
657:
733:
243:
His best known work was a study of the Mossi people published in 1964, and extensively updated and republished in 1989 as
379:
588:
531:
650:
476:
82:
157:
258:
Skinner explored power, and how elites hold onto it, in much of his work. He was critical of some aspects of
217:
297:
688:
683:
189:
328:
282:
197:
193:
421:
181:
201:
236:
58:
634:
572:
515:
308:
618:
494:
459:
419:
Hevesi, Dennis (May 1, 2007). Elliott
Skinner, Scholar and Former Ambassador, Dies at 82.
70:
240:
post-independence from France. He was only 42 on starting as ambassador in
Ouagadougou.
568:
259:
153:
137:
677:
396:
367:
304:
221:
173:
103:
225:
185:
161:
205:
Acculturation and Group
Dynamics." but his interests soon shifted back to Africa.
624:
507:
560:
133:
188:
in France, which later allowed him to obtain citizenship. Skinner earned a
177:
107:
500:
434:
274:
Chairman of the Association of Black American Ambassadors (1988–92)
253:
African-Americans and United States Policy Toward Africa 1850-1924
392:
Matory, J. L. 2009. Elliot Percival Skinner (1924–2007)>
363:
Matory, J. L. 2009. Elliot Percival Skinner (1924–2007)>
245:
The Mossi of Burkina Faso: Chiefs, Politicians and Soldiers
311:, where he had moved on retirement. He was 82 years old.
638:
576:
519:
271:
Commandeur de l'Ordre National Voltaique, Burkina Faso
249:
African Urban Life: The Transformation of Ouagadougou
699:
Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
279:
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
129:
113:
97:
92:
76:
64:
54:
32:
21:
714:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States
397:http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2009.01100_2.x
368:http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2009.01100_2.x
709:Ambassadors of the United States to Burkina Faso
152:(June 20, 1924 – April 1, 2007) was an American
336:Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
514:This article about an American scientist is a
658:
596:
539:
8:
719:United States Army personnel of World War II
633:This American diplomat–related article is a
50:September 14, 1966 – July 16, 1969
665:
651:
603:
589:
546:
532:
448:
18:
415:
413:
220:, living in the country and learning the
467:United States Ambassador to Burkina Faso
380:"Elliott Percival Skinner (1924-2007) •"
320:
7:
614:
612:
557:
555:
490:
488:
435:"Home - Department of Anthropology"
303:On April 21, 2007, Skinner died of
637:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
575:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
518:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
255:(Howard University Press, 1992).
14:
623:
617:
559:
506:
499:
493:
345:from the original on 3 July 2024
228:, the majority ethnic group.
1:
16:American diplomat (1924–2007)
35:United States Ambassador to
724:ASA Best Book Prize winners
694:Columbia University faculty
755:
704:New York University alumni
611:
554:
487:
196:in 1951. He then attended
477:William E. Schaufele, Jr.
473:
464:
456:
451:
439:anthropology.columbia.edu
143:
88:
83:William E. Schaufele, Jr.
43:
28:
729:American scientist stubs
158:United States Ambassador
150:Elliott Percival Skinner
739:American diplomat stubs
394:American Anthropologist
365:American Anthropologist
162:Republic of Upper Volta
567:This article about an
184:in 1944 and fought in
298:Georgetown University
734:Anthropologist stubs
200:, where he earned a
283:Stanford University
198:Columbia University
194:New York University
164:from 1966 to 1969.
422:The New York Times
182:United States Army
646:
645:
584:
583:
527:
526:
483:
482:
474:Succeeded by
452:Diplomatic posts
251:(Yale, 1974) and
237:Lyndon B. Johnson
190:bachelor's degree
147:
146:
59:Lyndon B. Johnson
746:
667:
660:
653:
629:
628:
627:
621:
613:
605:
598:
591:
563:
556:
548:
541:
534:
510:
505:
504:
503:
497:
489:
457:Preceded by
449:
443:
442:
431:
425:
417:
408:
405:
399:
390:
384:
383:
376:
370:
361:
355:
354:
352:
350:
344:
338:. 8 April 1981.
333:
325:
309:Washington, D.C.
124:
122:
93:Personal details
79:
67:
48:
38:
19:
754:
753:
749:
748:
747:
745:
744:
743:
674:
673:
672:
671:
622:
616:
610:
609:
553:
552:
498:
492:
485:
479:
470:
462:
460:Thomas S. Estes
447:
446:
433:
432:
428:
418:
411:
406:
402:
391:
387:
382:. 5 March 2015.
378:
377:
373:
362:
358:
348:
346:
342:
331:
327:
326:
322:
317:
307:at his home in
294:
288:
268:
222:More (Language)
214:
208:
202:master's degree
170:
120:
118:
102:
77:
71:Thomas S. Estes
65:
49:
44:
36:
24:
23:Elliott Skinner
17:
12:
11:
5:
752:
750:
742:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
686:
676:
675:
670:
669:
662:
655:
647:
644:
643:
630:
608:
607:
600:
593:
585:
582:
581:
569:anthropologist
564:
551:
550:
543:
536:
528:
525:
524:
511:
481:
480:
475:
472:
463:
458:
454:
453:
445:
444:
426:
409:
400:
385:
371:
356:
319:
318:
316:
313:
293:
290:
286:
285:
275:
272:
267:
264:
260:Thomas Sankara
224:spoken by the
213:
210:
169:
166:
154:anthropologist
145:
144:
141:
140:
138:anthropologist
131:
127:
126:
125:(aged 82)
115:
111:
110:
99:
95:
94:
90:
89:
86:
85:
80:
74:
73:
68:
62:
61:
56:
52:
51:
41:
40:
30:
29:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
751:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
681:
679:
668:
663:
661:
656:
654:
649:
648:
642:
640:
636:
631:
626:
620:
615:
606:
601:
599:
594:
592:
587:
586:
580:
578:
574:
570:
565:
562:
558:
549:
544:
542:
537:
535:
530:
529:
523:
521:
517:
512:
509:
502:
496:
491:
486:
478:
469:
468:
461:
455:
450:
440:
436:
430:
427:
424:
423:
416:
414:
410:
404:
401:
398:
395:
389:
386:
381:
375:
372:
369:
366:
360:
357:
341:
337:
330:
324:
321:
314:
312:
310:
306:
305:heart failure
301:
299:
291:
289:
284:
280:
276:
273:
270:
269:
265:
263:
261:
256:
254:
250:
246:
241:
238:
235:Importantly,
233:
229:
227:
223:
219:
211:
209:
206:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
174:Port of Spain
167:
165:
163:
159:
155:
151:
142:
139:
135:
132:
128:
117:April 1, 2007
116:
112:
109:
105:
104:Port of Spain
101:June 20, 1924
100:
96:
91:
87:
84:
81:
75:
72:
69:
63:
60:
57:
53:
47:
42:
39:
31:
27:
20:
639:expanding it
632:
577:expanding it
566:
520:expanding it
513:
484:
465:
438:
429:
420:
403:
393:
388:
374:
364:
359:
347:. Retrieved
335:
323:
302:
295:
287:
257:
252:
248:
244:
242:
234:
230:
215:
207:
186:World War II
171:
149:
148:
78:Succeeded by
45:
37:Burkina Faso
689:2007 deaths
684:1924 births
218:Upper Volta
66:Preceded by
678:Categories
471:1966–1969
315:References
168:Background
130:Profession
55:President
46:In office
349:2 August
340:Archived
292:Personal
277:Fellow,
178:Trinidad
172:Born in
134:Diplomat
108:Trinidad
160:to the
121:2007-05
119: (
266:Awards
212:Career
571:is a
343:(PDF)
332:(PDF)
226:Mossi
192:from
635:stub
573:stub
516:stub
351:2024
156:and
114:Died
98:Born
33:3rd
680::
437:.
412:^
334:.
281:,
176:,
136:,
106:,
666:e
659:t
652:v
641:.
604:e
597:t
590:v
579:.
547:e
540:t
533:v
522:.
441:.
353:.
123:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.