The University of Houston's African American Studies Program (AAS) was founded at the University of Houston in the spring of 1968.
AAS was developed from student demands to include the study of African and African American history and culture into the UH curriculum.
In 1998, AAS celebrated its 30th anniversary at the University of Houston.
Currently 25 full, part-time, tenure and tenure-track faculty members in various disciplines within the university are affiliated with the AAS Program.
In 1991, AAS added the Institute for African American Policy Research, a statistical research outlet, and the Center for the Study of African American Culture to the Program.
In 1992, AAS received a grant award from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for two endowed professorships in the English Department and the History Department.
In 1996, Professor Richard Blackett became the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of History and African American Studies in fulfilling the NEH Challenge Grant as related to the History Department.
The African American Studies Program is very active both within the university campus community and within the greater Houston community.
Each year, AAS hosts annual events including the African and African American Cultural Arts Festival, the Wilson Whitley Memorial Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the Annual Scholar's Banquet to raise scholarship funds for African American students.
The AAS Program has developed specialized areas of interest, including the recruitment and retention of African American students at UH, AAS curriculum development, and faculty assistance through the Faculty Travel Program and the Faculty Development Program.
AAS has scholarship and grant assistance for students, including the Rueben Sheeler Scholarship, the AAS Academic Excellence Scholarship, and the Academic Support Grants.
Click here for a General Overview of the African American Studies Program
