American Society of African Culture


The American Society of African Culture was an organization of African-American writers, artists, and scholars. The society was founded as a result of the Congress of Negro Writers and Artists in 1956 based on the idea of the French :fr:Société africaine de culture. In June 1957, the American Society of African Culture was officially founded by five African American intellectuals. During its heyday in the early 1960s, AMSAC had around four hundred members. One of the main goals of the organisation was to expose African Americans to their African heritage. This aim was pursued through organising exhibitions, lectures, music performances, and conferences in the United States and Africa. AMSAC sponsored a two-day festival in Lagos, Nigeria in December 1961. After 1967, AMSAC's membership sharply declined after it was named as one of the organisations that was funded by the Central Intelligence Agency.