University of Colorado Boulder inaugurates the Center for African & African American Studies on the first day of Black History Month.

The University of Colorado Boulder inaugurated the Center for African & African American Studies (CAAAS) on the first day of Black History Month, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2022. 

Founded by Dr. Reiland Rabaka, a professor at CU along with four student-alumni co-founders: Ruth Woldemichael, Karia White, Audrea Fryar and Isaiah Chavous in 2021, CAAAS, commonly referred to as “the cause,” has three main pillars: research, visual and performing arts and student services. It aims to, “research, promote, preserve, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about the histories, cultures, and arts of Africa, African Americans, and the wider world of the African diaspora,” according to their website. 

The center was founded in 2021 amidst the pandemic. Dr. Rabaka had been pushing to bring the center to CU since he joined the faculty, more than a decade ago, but it wasn’t until 2020 that the work around the center progressed more.

“The social, political upheaval we were in in 2020 put some fire behind administrators’ butts to get something like this going,” co-founder Audrea Fryar said. 

CAAAS is the only center on campus that is centered for students, staff and faculty. Co-founder Karia White said that, to her, was meaningful. “We [students, faculty and staff] don’t exist outside of each other. We exist with each other,” she said.

Ruth Woldemichael, co-founder and alumni said that it’s important for the center to build a bridge that connects Black students, faculty and staff. 

“I hope this can build a bridge so we can all be in community together. So we can get academic support and community support.”

Members of the Board of Regents and Boulder City Council, CU President Todd Saliman and CU Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano were among notable attendees. 

CU President Todd Saliman said that the center is an example of how the university aims to reflect the people of Colorado. “This is the people of Colorado, you’re the people of Colorado, we are all people of Colorado and we want the University of Colorado to be everyone’s university,” he said.

The event included performances including live music, song and dance performances  from CU students and local artists from Denver.

“For the cause [CAAAS], legacy is going to take the form of something greater than us and something greater than one individual could ever do. It’s the sum of the whole, it is the sum of results that a whole community forms,” Chavous said.