The interdisciplinary program in African American Studies at USC was established in 1971 to broaden the University's curricular offerings to include the African American experience. That fundamental mission remains valid. Much, however, has changed in the world of the academy and the larger society since 1971. These changes are reflected in the massive and still-growing body of new scholarship on the life and culture of peoples of African descent in the western world and the increased public interest in this experience. They are reflected in the changing demographics wherein minority ethnic groups constitute an increasingly large proportion of the nation's work force and in the conclusion of the nation's corporate and business leaders that the better-prepared students are those who have knowledge of the African American heritage. They are evident in increased student demand for courses on the African American experience. While in the past, this demand originated largely with African American students; today white and other students recognize that knowledge of the African American experience enhances job opportunities in the corporate world, the public service arena, and public school education. At USC, the discipline is also in constant demand with students in exchange programs such as the Warwick Exchange Program with Great Britain.

These changes demand a broadened academic scope for African American Studies as much as does the intellectual integrity of the University's academic mission. The study of African American life and culture, as stated in the University's "Five Point Plan" of 1992, is central to that intellectual integrity.

The mission of African American Studies at USC is to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and academically sound program of study that facilitates scholarly research, writing, teaching, and enriches the collegiate experience for all students. Its principal goals are: