CENTER FOR AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
About
The Center for African and African American Studies is the research, creative work, and programming division of the broader Black Studies community at the University of Colorado Boulder. Established in May 2021 by Reiland Rabaka, along with student leaders Audrea Fryar, Ruth Woldemichael, Karia White and Isaiah Chavous, the Center for African and African American Studies (acronym: the CAAAS, and commonly called the Cause) is the focal point for campus and community life grounded in, and growing out of the historical, cultural, spiritual, sociopolitical, economic, and artistic experiences of Africans, African Americans, and the African diaspora.
The Center for African and African American Studies facilitates intellectual exchange and interdisciplinary engagement with scholars, artists, students, and community members on a broad spectrum of topics that range from history, culture, politics and economics, to education, religion, law and language, to literature, music, dance, theater and art. Drawing on faculty with research, creative work, and teaching expertise in African, African American, and African Diaspora Studies throughout CU, the CAAAS is the central research, teaching, performance, exhibit, consciousness-raising, and community-building space dedicated to Black culture on the Boulder campus.
The Center for African and African American Studies (acronym: the CAAAS, and commonly called the Cause) is the focal point for Black community and culture at the University of Colorado Boulder. It is a multipurpose space where scholars, students, artists, activists and allies come together to study Africa, African Americans, and the African diaspora. The CAAAS has three major program areas:
research
visual and performing arts
student services
Key Focus Areas
The contributions of Africa and people of African descent to world history and culture, including the United States, and specifically Colorado and the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area.
The African diaspora’s contributions to world history and culture, with an emphasis on its contributions to the United States, and specifically Colorado and the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area.
African Americans’ contributions to U.S. history and culture, with an emphasis on their contributions to Colorado and the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area.
