Kobinah Abdul-Salim, Ph.D. - A Botanical Walk Through Black History

MHG Meetings

Sponsored By: Metro Hort Group

Although we are aware of the many ways in which plants have been critically important in the shaping of human history, there are many stories that remain largely untold. In this presentation, Dr. Abdul- Salim will examine how the histories of the black presence in the Western Hemisphere are intimately linked to the uses and study of plants and plant-based resources. The “tour” will begin with a look at traditional and indigenous botanical knowledge, its impact in the development of commerce and industry, and move through modern-day botanical science and conservation.

Dr. Abdul-Salim is a plant systematist with interests in the woody flora of the world’s tropics. He has conducted field research in Africa and Madagascar and worked as a fellow at both the New York Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He holds a PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University, a Masters degree in Biology from University of Missouri-St. Louis, and a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Kobinah was an assistant professor of Biology at Medgar Evers College before he became President of Protologue Learning Resources.