Melville Jean Herskovits was an American anthropologist who helped establish African and African Diaspora studies in American academia, known for exploring the cultural continuity from African cultures expressed in African-American communities. He carried out fieldwork with his wife, the anthropologist Frances Shapiro Herskovits, in South America, the Caribbean and Africa, and the two jointly wrote several books and monographs together.
Facts
Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account Death DateSourced to the subject's own account Death YearSourced to the subject's own account BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own account Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own accountEvanston, Illinois, U.S. 1 Nationality / CultureSourced to the subject's own account Defining ContributionSourced to the subject's own accountKnown for exploring the cultural continuity from African cultures as expressed in African-American communities. 1 Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own accountThe Myth of the Negro Past (1941) 1 Melville J. Herskovits
Connections
Informed By
Herskovits studied under Boas at Columbia and pioneered the anthropological study of the African diaspora.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Melville J. Herskovits
WikipediaLead paragraph, dates parenthetical
September 10, 1895 - February 25, 1963
Early life section, first sentence
Born to Jewish immigrants in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1895, Herskovits attended local public schools.
Infobox: Died field
February 25, 1963 (aged 67) Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Lead paragraph, first sentence
was an American anthropologist
Lead paragraph, second sentence
He is known for exploring the cultural continuity from African cultures as expressed in African-American communities.
Works section
Herskovits's book The Myth of the Negro Past is about African cultural influences on African Americans
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