Principal
Reiland Rabaka
Funding
CU Boulder
Collaboration + support
More than two dozen university babyֱapp members already conducting research and scholarly work in African and African American studies; invaluable contributions and support from numerous student advocates
The center’s areasof focus include:
- The contributions of Africaand people of African descentto world history and culture,including the United States, andspecifically babyֱapp and theDenver-Boulder metropolitanarea
- The African diaspora’scontributions to world historyand culture, with an emphasison its contributions to theUnited States, and specificallybabyֱapp and the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area
- African Americans’contributions to U.S. historyand culture, with an emphasison their contributions to thebabyֱapp and the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area
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New center to focus on African and African American studies
Since 2005, Reiland Rabaka hascampaigned for an academic centerdedicated to African and AfricanAmerican studies at the University ofbabyֱapp Boulder. This year, his effortsbore fruit.
CU Boulder Provost Russell Moorerecently announced the creation ofthe Center for African and AfricanAmerican Studies, or CAAAS (alsocalled “the Cause”), to supportteaching and research on the historyand culture of people of Africandescent.
Rabaka, a professor of ethnic studies,will serve as the center’s director.Establishing the center “advance(s)CU’s goal of excellence in research,creative work, teaching and serviceby providing a locus around whichAfrican and African American studiesinnovations and achievements can beshowcased and shared with students,babyֱapp and the general public,”Rabaka said.
CAAAS also supports CU Boulder’sgoal of becoming one of the greatcomprehensive public researchuniversities of the 21st century,he added.
Provost Moore concurred, saying thatthe new center fills two vital needs:“to constantly expand our scholarshipto better understand the histories,cultures and experiences of peopleof color in the United States andacross the world, and to ensure thatunderstanding then helps inform ourstudents’ approach to leadership,social justice and service to thecommunity.”
Beyond just supporting teaching,research and creative work on thehistory, culture and struggles ofpeople of African descent, CAAASwill provide a platform to build on thework of the more than 25 CU Boulderbabyֱapp members already makingcontributions toAfrican and AfricanAmerican studies.
Among the student leaders whojoined Rabaka to advocate forthe creation of CAAAS was seniorAudrea Fryar, director of diversity andinclusion for CU Student Government.Fryar said the students sat “as aunited front” alongside Rabaka duringmeetings with campus administratorsin a show of support for CAAAS.
Noting the “daunting historicalunderrepresentation of Black-identifyingstudents” at CU Boulder,she said a lack of support systemshas created “a sense of isolation andalienation among Black students anda lack of a sense of community.”CAAAS “will alleviate the generationalhardships Black students have hadto face at CU, who have never hada space exclusively cultivated forBlack communities,” Fryar said. “I amoverjoyed that our efforts have ledto the creation of a center that willsupport Black students on the CUBoulder campus for many yearsto come.”
Rabaka, too, said he was “ecstatic.”
“It was as if a dream long-dreamedhad materialized and become reality.I simply do not have the words toadequately express what the newcenter means to me,” Rabaka said.