The Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists (WAPA) represents anthropologists living and working across the greater D.C. region.  WAPA is one of the oldest and largest regional associations of professional anthropologists in the United States.  In the wake of the 2016 national U.S. elections, we resolve the following:

We condemn and will actively work against policies, programs, and inflammatory rhetoric that support racist, anti-immigrant, sexist, gender-biased, religious or otherwise discriminatory or divisive views;

We recognize the US. is a country of immigrants and we value and support diversity and the unique differences that we share, be it dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies; and

We condemn the use of inflammatory rhetoric and false information from the new administration and others to incite hate crimes, discrimination,  or violence towards any community, including but not limited to African Americans, LGBTQ, refugees and asylum seekers, new immigrants, women, persons with disabilities, and seniors;

We condemn and will actively work against unconstitutional policies and programs that may suppress freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble and peacefully protest;

We resolve to stand in on-going support of the pursuit of scientific inquiry into the human condition for the betterment of the communities in which we conduct our research.  We value the use of social science, empirical evidence and scholarly inquiry as the basis for illuminating, supporting, and valuing diversity.

We resolve that the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists will stand in solidarity with anyone who feels unfairly threatened or attacked because of their beliefs, orientation, racial or ethnic background.

Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists

April 17, 2017

Dear WAPA,

A few members have gotten together, reviewed by the WAPA board, to draft a statement in response to some of the policies and rhetoric coming out of the new administration.  We plan to post this statement on our website, on our blog, and to share with press and others.  Please take a moment to review this draft statement.  If you have any comments or suggested edits please send to Frances Norwood at francesnorwood@aol.com by Friday, March 31st.  Once the comment period has ended we will post the final version to the public.  Thanks for your help.

WAPA Statement – for website, press release and blog

Draft 3-23-2017

The Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists (WAPA) represents anthropologists living and working across the greater D.C. region.  WAPA is one of the oldest and largest regional associations of professional anthropologists in the United States.  In the wake of the 2016 national U.S. elections, we resolve the following:

We condemn and will actively work against policies, programs, and inflammatory rhetoric that support racist, anti-immigrant, sexist, gender-biased, religious or otherwise discriminatory or divisive views;

We recognize the US. is a country of immigrants and we value and support diversity and the unique differences that we share, be it dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies; and

We condemn the use of inflammatory rhetoric and false information from the new administration and others to incite hate crimes, discrimination,  or violence towards any community, including but not limited to African Americans, LGBTQ, refugees and asylum seekers, new immigrants, women, persons with disabilities, and seniors;

We condemn and will actively work against unconstitutional policies and programs that may suppress freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble and peacefully protest;

We resolve to stand in on-going support of the pursuit of scientific inquiry into the human condition for the betterment of the communities in which we conduct our research.  We value the use of social science, empirical evidence and scholarly inquiry as the basis for illuminating, supporting, and valuing diversity.

We resolve that the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists will stand in solidarity with anyone who feels unfairly threatened or attacked because of their beliefs, orientation, racial or ethnic background.

What: The American Anthropological Association (AAA) invites you to hear Elzbieta M. Gozdziak, research professor for the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) at Georgetown University, read selections from her latest book, Trafficked Children and Adolescents in the United States: Reimagining Survivors published by Rutgers University Press.

When: June 7, 2016 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Where: Busboys and Poets
625 Monroe Street Northeast 
Washington, DC 20017

Trafficked children are portrayed by the media - and even by child welfare specialists - as hapless victims who are forced to migrate from a poor country to the United States, where they serve as sex slaves. But as Gozdziak reveals in Trafficked Children in the United States, the picture is far more complex. Basing her observations on research with 140 children from countries all over the globe, Gozdziak debunks many myths and uncovers the realities of the captivity, rescue, and rehabilitation of trafficked children.

For more information about the event, and to RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/WOTM_TraffickedChildren.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Gozdziak, contact the American Anthropological Association at 703-528-1902.

This event is presented in collaboration with AAA’s latest public education initiative World on the Move: 100,000 Years of Human Migration, designed to offer people a chance to pause and rethink their ideas about migration, displacement, and belonging. To learn more about the initiative visit www.understandingmigration.org.

The Washington Post recently highlighted the historic Sumner School, meeting-place for WAPA for many years.  See this article by John Kelly which includes a wonderful picture of the school.

The Solon T. Kimball Award for Public and Applied Anthropology is given every other year to an exemplary anthropologist for his or her outstanding recent achievements that have contributed to anthropology as an applied science and that have had important impacts on public policy. The award carries a $1000 prize and is presented at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association.

Nomination materials must be received by June 1, 2016. Questions regarding nomination procedures should be directed to the chair of the award committee, Dr. David Griffith.  Details about the nomination criteria, required materials, and past awardees are on the AAA website, under “Prizes & Awards."

WAPA is establishing a permanent emergency Fund in order to provide temporary assistance to members in need.  The seed money has been provided by a bequest from the estate of a long-time member, Connie Ojile.  In her memory, WAPA intends to use this money, along with money donated by our members in the future, for the use of any qualifying WAPA member who needs a relatively small loan to tide himself or herself over during a financial crisis or shortfall.  Click here for more information.

Click here to listen to the March 5, 2013 monthly Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists (WAPA) meeting, as new AAA Executive Director Ed Liebow sought feedback about his plans for the Association.

Posted 13 April 2013

The American Anthropological Association has updated its Resources for Practitioners webpages. WAPA members are invited to take a look and provide feedback.  WAPA members who know of other resources that should be included may send suggestions to Courtney Dowdall.

Students at Florida State can once again major in anthropology.  Read the story here.

An article in The Washington Post has identified the location of "Tally's Corner." Author Elliot Liebow carried out his doctoral dissertation at Catholic University in the 1960s at an unidentified location in Washington.  Post columnist John Kelly recently published an article about the location -  the corner was at 10th and M Street, NW, (not far from Sumner School).  Read the article here.