Greetings!

Welcome to The Africana Research Center (ARC) website. The Center was established in July 2001 in response to student concerns about the racial climate at the University Park Campus. Students saw establishment of the research center as part of a long-term process that would help to institutionalize diversity and make it part of the university’s intellectual agenda.

Though its focus is global and international in scope, ARC’s primary objective is to stimulate and sustain the development of relevant and appropriate initiatives at Penn State that foster diversity and an increased understanding and appreciation of the history, life and culture of African diasporic peoples. Our overall mission is, thus, twofold:

• To promote research and scholarship conducted by Penn State faculty and students that will advance the historical and contemporary understanding and enhancement of the lives of people across the African Diaspora.

• To serve as a catalyst for promoting an enabling environment at Penn State in which cultural production and discourse on diversity are nurtured to advance the research, teaching, and outreach mission of the university.

In this season of HOPE and CHANGE, we invite you to tour our website and learn more about our various programs and initiatives.

Sincerely,

Lovalerie King

Interim Director