This talk proposes a new reading of Early Modern European sources for African history in light of Islamic African written records and oral traditions. It examines how Islam interacted with local religions and cultural practices in order to become meaningful and suitable for West African communities. Focusing on the need for protection against crocodile attacks along major Senegambian rivers, the talk explores how History, Anthropology, and Islamic Studies can be brought into conversation to offer a fuller understanding of Islamization in West Africa.

Dr. Thiago Mota is an Assistant Professor of African History at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on Islam in West Africa, colonial encounters, and the social history of knowledge production across Afro-Atlantic spaces. His next book, Global Islam from Below: Islamic Political Culture in Senegambia and the Atlantic World, 1400–1850, is under contract with Cambridge University Press and examines how ordinary Muslims shaped political and religious life in Senegambia and its Atlantic connections. He has taught widely on African history, including courses on Islamic manuscript cultures, precolonial African history, and debates on the restitution of African cultural heritage.

Winter 2026 COLLOQUIUM SERIES

THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL STUDIES hosts a weekly Wednesday colloquium featuring work-in-progress by faculty & visitors. We are pleased to announce our Winter 2026 Series. Sessions begin promptly at 12:15 PM and end at 1:30 PM (PST) in Humanities Building 1, Room 210.

Staff assistance is provided by The Humanities Institute.