EKENEDILI Chukwunna! To God be the Glory! Happy 90th Birthday Mother. Love from me, all of your children and grandchildren, relatives, friends and from millions of well-wishers from around the world.
I continue my series on gratitude with thanks to God for my mother – for her life, work, her being… A lot of people have read about my Dad, Professor Chinua Achebe – his life, his books, his work outside literature – as a politician, “crusader for social justice” etc… and the family is deeply grateful for the recognition, the love… the support…Deeply grateful to God and the millions of supporters…
But beside him, by God’s Grace – was my mother, Professor Christie Achebe, Quiet….“Odozingwulu,” Matriarch of the Chinua Achebe clan, child of God, beautiful person inside and out; elegance and class personified – who made it possible for him to “fly”. We know you will cringe at the publicity, but we must celebrate you, Mother…
About Christie Achebe
PROFESSOR Christie Achebe was educated at Queens College, Lagos, and obtained the following degrees:
B.A. (Hons) History— University of London, 1960.;
P.G.C.E. (Postgraduate Certificate in Education)—University of London, 1961,
M.A., (Counselling) Department of Education—University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1972.
Ed.D. (Counseling) Department of Education—University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA, 1975.
She has had a long and distinguished academic career that spans several decades. Her academic appointments and positions include the following: Visiting Professor, Department of Psychology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Fall 1997-2009; Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Fall 1992-Spring 1997; Professor, Department of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Fall 1988; Visiting Professor, Counseling, Consulting and Behavioral Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Fall 1987-Spring 1988; Visiting Fellow, Institute of Advanced Study in the Humanities, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Fall 1987-Spring 1988; Visiting Professor, Counseling, Consulting and Behavioral Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst—Fall 1983; Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka—Fall 1983-Spring 1988.
Professor Christie has published four books: Fundamentals of Guidance and Counseling, co-edited text (Ibadan, Nigeria: Heinemann Educational Books, 1990); Theories of Individual Counseling: Relevance to the Nigerian Situation, co-edited text (Amherst, Massachusetts: Five College Black Studies Press, 1988); The World of the Ogbanje, (Enugu, Nigeria: Fourth Dimension Publishers, 1986); Guidance and Counseling in Schools Handbook, (Enugu, Nigeria: Anambra Sate Ministry of Education, 1981); as well as over 60 articles, periodicals, book chapters and papers. Administrative Positions held include Acting Head, Department of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Fall 1986-Spring 1987.
Thank you, God!