The first African American Cultural Center was formed in 1970 and was located in the YMCA Building. In 1974, African American students called for a new cultural center. Student Body President Terry Carroll presented a “four point” request to Chancellor John T. Caldwell, which included a request for the first floor of the Print Shop to be turned over to the Society of Afro-American Culture for an African American Cultural Center. Banks C. Talley, Dean of Student Affairs, complied with this request. In 1991, the Center moved to its current location in Witherspoon Student Center where, after student and faculty protests, it was granted an operating budget by NCSU administrators.
The African American Cultural Center promotes awareness of and appreciation for African American and other African descent experiences through activities and events that enhance academic excellence and strengthen cultural competence for the campus and surrounding communities. As a unit of the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, the African American Cultural Center is an indispensable component of NCSU’s mission of “building a diverse and inclusive campus community, fostering demographic and intellectual diversity, fostering internal and external partnerships and adopting an operational model that embraces efficiency and accountability.” It also operates the African American Cultural Library and Cultural Art Gallery.
From the guide to the North Carolina State University, Office of the Provost, African American Cultural Center Records, 1986-2002, (Special Collections Research Center)
