Thomas J Desch-Obi

Education

Ph.D., African History, University of California Los Angeles

M.A., African Studies, University of California Los Angeles

B.A., Religion, Harvard University

Books

Desch-obi, T. (2008). Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Arts in the Atlantic World. Columbia, South Carolina, University of South Carolina Press.

Desch-obi, T. (. With the Flat of a Machete: Spirituality, Gender, and History of Afro-Colombian Martial Arts, 1847-1947. In Progress.

Journal Articles

(2022). The Venezolano Moderno Style. The Immersion Review, 1(2). 22-40.

(2012). The Jogo de Capoeira and the Fallacy of ‘Creole’ Cultural Forms. African and Black Diaspora: An International Journal, 5(2). 211-228.

Desch-obi, T. (2011). A Defesa Dançada de Bill Richmond. Revista de História do Esporte, 4(2). 1-29.

Desch-obi, T. (2010). Peinillas and Popular Participation: Machete fighting in Haiti, Cuban and Colombia. Memorias, 6(11). 9302 words.

(2009). Black Terror: Bill Richmond’s Revolutionary Boxing. Journal of Sports History, 36(1). 99-114.

(2009). Angola e o Jogo de Capoeira. Antropolitica, 24(1). 103-124.

(1993). Capoeira: Martial Arts as Spiritual Discipline. Journal of Caribbean Studies (Association of Caribbean Studies), 19(2). 87-98.

How Spanish was the Juego Español? : Problematizing the Presumed Ancestry of an Afro-Colombian Martial Art. Acta Periodica Duellatorum,

Protective mothering: Female Combat in Pre-Colonial Africa . In Progress.

Book Chapters

Desch-Obi, T. (2020). Ritualized Violence in Africa and the African Diaspora. In Dwyer, P. (Ed.), Cambridge World History of Violence Cambridge,U.K.. Cambridge University Press.

Desch-obi, T. (2016). Le Defi: Exploring the History of Mascarene Martial Arts. In Weldemichael, A. T., Lee, A. A., & Alpers, E. A. (Eds.), Changing Horizons of African History (pp. 125-148). Trenton, New Jersey,U.S.A.. Africa World Press.

Desch-obi, T. (2012). Los Ayudados: Oral History of a Guapetón. In Valdés , V. K. (Ed.), Let Spirit Speak! Cultural Journeys through the African Diaspora (pp. 31-38). Albany, NY. SUNY Press.

Desch-obi, T. (2010). Koup Tet: A Machete Wielding View of the Haitian Revolution. In Apter, A., & Derby, R. (Eds.), Activating the Past: History and Memory in the Black Atlantic (pp. 245-266). Newcastle upon Tyne,UK. Cambridge Scholars Publishers.

Desch-obi, T. (2004). Deadly Dances: The Spiritual Dimensions of Kongo-Angolan Martial Arts Traditions in the New World. In Bellegarde-Smith, P. (Ed.), Fragments of Bone: Neo-African Religions in a New World (pp. 70-89). Champaign-Urbana, IL. University of Illinois Press.

Desch-obi, T. (2001). Combat and the Crossing of the Kalunga. In Heywood, H. (Ed.), Central Africans and Cultural Transformations in the American Diaspora (pp. 353-370). Cambridge,UK. Cambridge University Press.

Presentations

Desch-obi, T. (2017, April 7). Martial Mothers in the Cross River and Caloto: Feminine Spirituality and the Aesthetics of Combat. New York Area African Workshop. New York City: C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center.

Desch-obi, T. (2017, March 31). Ethnicity and Identity in the Capoeira Societies of Rio de Janeiro. Capoeira Symposium. New York City: Colombia University Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life.

Desch-obi, T. (2016, June 20). Ritualized Violence in Africa and the Diaspora. The Cambridge World History of Violence Conference. Rome, Italy: Cambridge University.

Desch-obi, T. (2016, March 25). Los Negros del Zurriago. Historical Conflicts and the Prospects for Peace in Colombia. Nashville: Vanderbilt University.

Desch-obi, T. (2015, November 30). Martial Motherhood: Dike nwami and maestras de grima as socially sanctioned femininities in Calabar and Caloto. Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora. Charleston, SC

Desch-obi, T. (2015, April 30). Combative Connections: The Transnational Linkages in Afro-Colombian Martial Arts. Locating and Connecting Latin American and the African Diaspora. Charlotte, NY: University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Desch-obi, T. (2015, March 31). Bad-ass Femininity: Gendering the Aesthetics and Practice of Machete Fighting. National Council of Black Studies. Los Angeles

Desch-obi, T. (2014, October 31). honor and the Aesthetics of Agon in Jailhouse Rock. Marking Time: Prison Arts and Activism Conference. New Brunswick: Rutgers University.

Desch-obi, T. (2013, November 30). Cruzas and Cartillas: The Counter-archive of Afro-Colombian Martial Arts Styles. Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora. Santo Domingo

Desch-obi, T. (2012, November 30). Combat in Cimbebasia:A Counterpoint from the Southern Frontier. African Studies Association. Philadelphia

Desch-obi, T. (2012, September 30). Angolan Aesthetics and the First American Pugilist. Duke university: Duke University.

Desch-obi, T. (2012, April 30). Corporal Archives. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.

Desch-obi, T. (2011, December 31). Esgrima de Machete: A Latin American Martial Art Tradition. Afro-Latin America: Rethinking Identity, Politics and Culture Symposium. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University.

Desch-obi, T. (2011, November 30). Negros Macheteros: Afro-Latino Martial Arts in the Popular Imagination. Afro-Latino Conference. New York City: Afro-Latino Forum.

Desch-obi, T. (2010, April 30). Los Ayudados: Spiritual Forces and the Machete Arts. Cultural Journeys through the African Diaspora Conference. New York City: City College, CUNY.

Desch-obi, T. (2009, April 30). Muhammad Ali and Zaire. University of Nebraska Blacks in Film Festival. Lincoln: University of Nebraska.

Desch-obi, T. (2009, February 28). African Diaspora Pugilism and the Lowcountr. Charleston, SC: College of Charleston.

Desch-obi, T. (2008, May 31). ’That African Way’: Machete Fighting Arts in Cuba, Haiti, and Colombia. Caribbean Studies Association Conference. San Andres, Colombia: Caribbean Studies Association.

Desch-obi, T. (2008, March 31). Performing Combat: An Oral History of Afro-Colombian Escrima and Participation in the War of Leticia. Oral History Conference. New York City: Oral History Association.

Desch-obi, T. (2007, October 31). Le Defi: Mascarene Pugilism and the African Diaspora. African Studies Association Conference. New York City: African Studies Association.

Desch-obi, T. (2007, February 28). Combat and Creolization. Rethinking Boundaries Conference. New York City: NYU.

Desch-obi, T. (2006, April 30). History and the Language of Combat. Invited Lecture. Miami: Florida Memorial College.

Desch-obi, T. (2005, October 31). History and Origin Myths: The Genesis of Brazil's Famous Capoeira Foot-Fighting. Conference. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Association for the Study of the Worldwide Arfican Diaspora (ASWAD).

Desch-obi, T. (2005, April 30). Koup Tet: Haitian stick fighting and the Haitian Revolution. Activating the Past Conference. Los Angeles: UCLA.

Desch-obi, T. (2005, February 28). Masculinity and the 52 Combat Aesthetic. Black Masculinities Conference. New York: Graduate Center, CUNY.

Desch-obi, T. (2004, October 31). Fighting Sweet: African Combat Aesthetics and British Boxing. African Diaspora Interdisciplinary Conference. New York: Graduate Center, CUNY.

Desch-obi, T. (2004, February 28). Battle Dancers: The Surprising Success of Early Black Boxers. Conference. New York University: New York Historians of Africa.

Desch-obi, T. (2004, April 30). Guarda Negra: Art and Social Resistance. Invited Lecture. : John F. kennedy School African Diaspora in the Amercias Conference.

Desch-obi, T. (2004, May 31). Medicine and Conflict in Central Arfica. Invited Lecture. New York: Charles Moore Center of Ethnic Studies.

Desch-obi, T. (2003, April 30). Oceans Apart: the Origin and Spread of an Angolan Foot-fighting Tradition. Invited Lecture. : University of Pennsylvania, East Asian Studies & African Studies Center.

Desch-obi, T. (2002, November 30). Historical Creolization: A Reappraisal for the Perspective of African martial art Traditions in Brazil. Conference. New York: Institute for Research on the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean\ City University of New York.

Desch-obi, T. (2002, December 31). Diving History: Historical Linguistics and African Divination in Historical Reconstruction. Washington D.C: African Studies Association.

Desch-obi, T. (2002, November 30). Philosophy in Motion. Public Performance and Lecture on African influence on dance in the Americas and the world of martial arts. New York: Baruch College.

Desch-obi, T. (2002, June 30). ASILI: Fieldwork and Computer Software in African History. Interdisciplinary Symposium on Fieldwork in Africa. Dakar, Senegal: The West African Research Association,.

Desch-obi, T. (2001, November 30). Cross-stepping: African Traditions in the Carolina Lowcountry. Houston, Texas: African Studies Association.

Desch-obi, T. (2001, November 30). African Origins of Virginia Slave Culture. Invited lecture. : University of maryland honors program.

Desch-obi, T. (2001, November 30). Giving Voice to Minority Groups among Enslaved Africans in North America. Keynote address. : Symposium on Slave Life and Culture, Indiana University.

Desch-obi, T. (2000, July 31). Biafran Cultural Traditions in North America. Conference on Repercussions of the Atlantic Slave Trade: The Interior of the Bight and the African Diaspora. Enugu, Nigeria

Desch-obi, T. (2000, September 30). Triknology and Trip'em ups. Conference on Crossing Boundries: The African Diaspora in the New Millennium. : New York University.

Desch-obi, T. (2000, October 31). Angola and 'a luta brasileria'. Conference on Enslaving Connections: Africa and Brazil during the Era of the Slave Trade. Canada. UNESCO: York University.

Desch-obi, T. (2000, April 30). Capoeira and Co-optation: From 'National' Subcultures to a Brazilian National Form. African Studie Conference. : UCLA.

Desch-obi, T. (1999, September 30). Combat and the Crossing of the Kalunga. Conference on Bantu into Black: Central Africans in the Atlantic Diaspora. : Howard University.

Desch-obi, T. (1999, January 31). Spiritual Dimensions of Martial Arts in the African Diaspora. Atlantic Series Colloquium. : UCLA.

Desch-obi, T. (1998, November 30). Military and religious of West Central Africa. Invited Lecture. : University of Houston.

Desch-obi, T. (1997, March 31). Linguas nacionais como fontes historicas. Invited Lecture, Instituto Superior de Ciencias da Educacao. : Department of History, Agostinho Neto University.

Desch-obi, T. (1996, October 31). Fieldwork Methods. Guest Lecture. : Loyola Marymount University.

Desch-obi, T. (1995, December 31). African Combat Dances in America. African American Theater. : UCLA.

Desch-obi, T. (1995, October 31). Quem Nao Pode com Mandinga. American Folklore Society Annual Meeting. : UCLA.

Desch-obi, T. (1995, February 28). Stick fighting in the African Diaspora. Invited Lecture. : University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Desch-obi, T. (1995, May 31). Batuque and Plays: Comparing Slave Cultures in Brazil and the United States. Invited Lecture, Fireside Lounge Series. : Univsity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Desch-obi, T. (1995, May 31). The Surprising Success of Early Black Boxers. African Activists Association Annual Meeting. : UCLA.

Desch-obi, T. (1994, December 31). African Combat Dances in America. African American Theater. : UCLA.

Other Scholarly Works

Reviews

Desch-obi, T. (2009,January 1). Capoiera. American Historical Review.

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