CAAAS offers the campus, the community, and the academic world opportunities for increased knowledge about the rich heritage of Africans and African Americans.

The Center sponsors workshops, seminars, exhibitions, and lectures that explore issues and provide opportunities for students to interact with persons who represent diversity in cultural, social, professional, political, or national perspectives. The Center's activities are highlighted by the celebration of African-American History Month in February and the annual commemoration of the Middle Passage in September.

The Center coordinates the African and African-American studies curriculum, which is an interdisciplinary minor program. The Center is also a repository for books, artifacts, and audio and visual tapes and CDs on African and African-American studies. Selected materials are available for checkout.

The Center also provides administrative support for the Student and Community Leadership Initiative (SCLI) and the African and African American Women’s Social Activism Section (AAAWSAS).