Principal
Reiland Rabaka
Funding
CU Boulder
Collaboration + support
More than two dozen university faculty members already conducting research and scholarly work in African and African American studies; invaluable contributions and support from numerous student advocates
The center鈥檚 areas听of focus include:鈥�
- The contributions of Africa听and people of African descent听to world history and culture,听including the United States, and听specifically Colorado and the听Denver-Boulder metropolitan听area
- The African diaspora鈥檚听contributions to world history听and culture, with an emphasis听on its contributions to the听United States, and specifically听Colorado and the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area
- African Americans鈥櫶齝ontributions to U.S. history听and culture, with an emphasis听on their contributions to the听Colorado and the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area
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New center to focus on African and African American studies
Since 2005, Reiland Rabaka has听campaigned for an academic center听dedicated to African and African听American studies at the University of听Colorado Boulder. This year, his efforts听bore fruit.
CU Boulder Provost Russell Moore听recently announced the creation of听the Center for African and African听American Studies, or CAAAS (also听called 鈥渢he Cause鈥�), to support听teaching and research on the history听and culture of people of African听descent.
Rabaka, a professor of ethnic studies,听will serve as the center鈥檚 director.听Establishing the center 鈥渁dvance(s)听CU鈥檚 goal of excellence in research,听creative work, teaching and service听by providing a locus around which听African and African American studies听innovations and achievements can be听showcased and shared with students,听faculty and the general public,鈥澨齊abaka said.
CAAAS also supports CU Boulder鈥檚听goal of becoming one of the great听comprehensive public research听universities of the 21st century,听he added.
Provost Moore concurred, saying that听the new center fills two vital needs:听鈥渢o constantly expand our scholarship听to better understand the histories,听cultures and experiences of people听of color in the United States and听across the world, and to ensure that听understanding then helps inform our听students鈥� approach to leadership,听social justice and service to the听community.鈥�
Beyond just supporting teaching,听research and creative work on the听history, culture and struggles of听people of African descent, CAAAS听will provide a platform to build on the听work of the more than 25 CU Boulder听faculty members already making听contributions to听African and African听American studies.
Among the student leaders who听joined Rabaka to advocate for听the creation of CAAAS was senior听Audrea Fryar, director of diversity and听inclusion for CU Student Government.听Fryar said the students sat 鈥渁s a听united front鈥� alongside Rabaka during听meetings with campus administrators听in a show of support for CAAAS.
Noting the 鈥渄aunting historical听underrepresentation of Black-identifying听students鈥� at CU Boulder,听she said a lack of support systems听has created 鈥渁 sense of isolation and听alienation among Black students and听a lack of a sense of community.鈥澨鼵AAAS 鈥渨ill alleviate the generational听hardships Black students have had听to face at CU, who have never had听a space exclusively cultivated for听Black communities,鈥� Fryar said. 鈥淚 am听overjoyed that our efforts have led听to the creation of a center that will听support Black students on the CU听Boulder campus for many years听to come.鈥�
Rabaka, too, said he was 鈥渆cstatic.鈥�
鈥淚t was as if a dream long-dreamed听had materialized and become reality.听I simply do not have the words to听adequately express what the new听center means to me,鈥� Rabaka said.
