Jepson Leadership Forum presents Kate Baldwin

The 2026-27 Jepson Leadership Forum series presents Kate Baldwin for the discussion Between State and Society: Traditional Authorities in Africa.

Kate Baldwin is associate professor of political science and global affairs at Yale University, faculty fellow at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies, and author of The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa.

The 2026-27 Jepson Leadership Forum focuses on Indigenous Leadership: Tradition, Sovereignty, and Survival. Indigenous peoples around the world manage complex relationships with states while sustaining governance systems that predate colonial boundaries. In the United States, Native nations continue to defend their sovereignty and counter cultural misrepresentation. In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional authorities often bridge customary law and state institutions. Across these and other contexts, Indigenous leaders confront shared challenges: safeguarding land and resources, preserving cultural knowledge, securing legal recognition, and advocating for their communities within national and international frameworks. This forum convenes scholars, practitioners, and Indigenous leaders to examine how these leadership systems operate, how they evolved over time, and why they remain vital today.