Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is a state that's still grappling with its national identity in the wake of ethnic tensions and religious conflict. Own the Mask, Own the Town: Contesting Yoruba History, Memory and Identity is a special guest lecture by professor John Thabiti Willis of Carleton College that explores the deeper histories and political functions of Yoruba masking traditions.

The Yoruba people of Nigeria use masquerade performances as a conduit for claiming power and authority within their communities. Willis will discuss a groundbreaking 1996 court case that revealed the political ramifications of rivalries between the descendants of royals, warriors and strangers in post-colonial Nigeria.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the El-Paso Lecture Series, Center for Public History, University of Houston. Guests may register online.