Early July, the Association for African Rhetoric (AAR), with headquarters in South Africa, did its 10th Biennial Conference in Accra and at its banquet gave a Distinguished Scholar Award to Professor Kwesi Yankah, retired professor of Linguistics.

AAR is a body of scholars, rhetors, and researchers who examine the use of rhetoric and speech communication in political, social and cultural contexts. This year’s conference, under the theme 'The Rhetoric of Crisis: Centering Global African Epistemologies,' took place from 3-5th July at the University of Ghana, and brought together scholars from various parts of Africa and the African diaspora. Professor Yankah had earlier given a conference keynote address entitled, ‘Africa as Crisis: Rhetorical Responses to Epidemics.’ The conference ended with a banquet where awards were given to deserving scholars and practitioners of African rhetoric. Professor Yankah’s Distinguished Scholar Award came with the following citation:

‘The African Association for Rhetoric (AAR) is honored to present the Distinguished Scholar Award to Kwesi Yankah, a (former) professor of Linguistics and fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Through his insightful scholarship, Professor Yankah has made a significant breakthrough in the study of African rhetoric, paving the way for a new generation of African rhetoricians.

His scholarly oeuvre, spanning royal oratory, proverbial discourse, health narratives, political communication, and democratic practice, has not only enriched our understanding of the power of language and culture but has also provided crucial material for scholars looking to expand the theoretical language of a field that is dominated by Euro-American perspectives.

As a public intellectual, Professor Yankah has seamlessly bridged the gap between academia and community through his journalistic discourse. His eloquent writing, as Kwatriot and Abonsam Fireman for example, illuminates the capacity of rhetoric to shape and transform civic life. The African Association for Rhetoric presents Professor Yankah with this award as a testament to his remarkable contributions to the study of African Rhetoric.’

kwyankah@yahoo.com