Distinguished scholar and author Ali A. Mazrui, who is the Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities and director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in New York, will lecture at DePaul University May 16 at 7 p.m. at St. Vincent Church, 1010 W. Webster Ave.

     Mazrui will address "Globalization and the Complexities of Identity in the Black World." In a synopsis of his lecture, he writes: "Three forces have been pressuring the Black World towards redefining its purpose and reframing its identities. The three extensive forces pull in contradictory directions. They are economic globalization, racial marginalization and cultural renewal."

     "Dr. Mazrui is one of the foremost scholars in African studies whose work has salience for issues of the Black diaspora," said Sandra Jackson, director of DePaul's Center for Culture and History of the Black Diaspora, sponsor of his lecture. "We anticipate an engaging discussion on related contemporary issues in the field."

     A native of Kenya, the 66-year-old Mazrui has a world reputation for scholarship related to African history, Islam and language. He holds professorships-at-large in humanities and development studies at the University of Jos, Jos in Nigeria and at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, Leesburg, Va. He is a professor-at-large emeritus and senior scholar in Africana studies at Cornell University.

     Mazrui has written more than 20 books, including "The Political Sociology of the English Language" (1975), "Africa's International Relations" (1977), "Cultural Forces in World Politics" (1990), and "The Power of Babel: Language and Governance in Africa's Experience" (1998), which he co-authored with Alamin M. Mazrui.

     He won the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award of the University of Michigan and the Distinguished Africanist Award of the African Studies Association of the United States. Mazrui has been involved in a number of United Nations projects, ranging from promoting human rights to reducing nuclear proliferation. He is consulted internationally on Islamic culture and Muslim history. In 1979, he delivered the prestigious annual Reith Lectures of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The National University of Lesotho in Maseru, Lesotho, has awarded him a distinguished service honor and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania elected him an "Icon of the 20th Century."

     In conjunction with BBC, the Public Broadcasting Service and the Nigerian Television Authority, Mazrui produced the widely heralded 1986 television series, "The Africans: A Triple Heritage."

     Mazrui holds a doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University in England and a master's degree in political science from Columbia University. He is the proud father of five sons.

     Mazrui's lecture is free and open to the public. For more information about this and other programs sponsored by DePaul's Center for Culture and History of the Black Diaspora, call 773/325-7511.