USA Africa Dialogue Series - Professor Rasheed Yesufu

The sad news of the passing of Professor Rasheed Yesufu has just been passed to me by his daughter. Those who knew Prof. Yesufu would be greatly saddened by this news. Rasheed was what I always called him because he was a brother-in-law who became a good friend.  He was one of those rare souls sent to remind us that there is a purpose to life on this earth, a purpose we would discover if we were to embrace the virtues of decency and humility in spite of our brilliance, hard work and achievements.  Rasheed exemplified these virtues and was a very devout muslim who faithfully adhered to the rituals of the faith while also embracing people of all faiths. He was a peaceful, kind and gentle person.  

Rasheed did his doctoral studies at the University of Indiana and was my next door neighbor while we taught in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Benin in Nigeria. The 1980s Structural Adjustment Program (SAP), imposed on Nigeria by the West, dispersed Nigerian intellectuals and other middle class categories to various parts of the world.  Rasheed landed in a teaching position in South Africa while I came to the US. Rasheed later returned to Nigeria and taught at the Open University where he served as dean. Professor Yesufu concentrated his scholarship on East African poetry and his published essays are characterized by classical thoroughness, insightfulness and laconic expression. He was loved by students and colleagues. He will be missed most dearly.

Submitted by Professor F. Odun Balogun, 

Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901

fbalogun@desu.edu; 302-222-6944   

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