Ousseina D. Alidou is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and African Studies at Rutgers University.
“Protest Arts, Gender, and Social Change is a thoughtful exploration of the vernacular aesthetics deployed by some cultural activists in search of justice. Drawing on her considerable expertise, Alidou documents how a new generation of wordsmiths blends artistry and advocacy to discredit old orthodoxies and advance new ways of being Hausa. By tracing the production and politicization of Hausa texts, songs, and performances, this book offers a compelling portrait of popular culture as a discursive force of change.” - Adeline Masquelier, Tulane University “Professor Ousseina Alidou’s brilliant study of musical and textual productions by women of the Muslim Sahel invites scholars to probe deeply the texts and music women artists employ to question and disrupt patriarchy. This must-read text will stimulate classroom conversations on gender justice.” - Elias Kifon Bongmba, Harry and Hazel Chavanne Chair in Christian Theology and Professor of Religion, Rice University