Center for African-American Studies at Princeton Moves Into Its New Home

Earlier this month, the Center for African-American Studies at Princeton University moved into its new home on the centrally located front campus of the university. The center is now housed in Stanhope Hall, a 204-year-old structure that was completely renovated to house Princeton’s black studies program.

Valerie Smith, the director of the center and Woodrow Wilson Professor of Literature, stated, “Our location in the center of campus makes visible the importance of research and teaching about race to a liberal arts education and announces the university’s commitment to African-American studies as a field of study to the campus and to the outside world.”

Since the center was founded last year, six new faculty members have been hired with joint appointments in other academic departments at Princeton. They are:

• Wallace Best, professor of religion
• Anne Cheng, professor of English
• Joshua Guild, assistant professor of history
• Angel Harris, assistant professor of sociology
• Melissa Harris-Lacewell, associate professor of politics
• Tera Hunter, professor of history

Princeton president Shirley Tilghman recently commented that the location of the new  Center for African-American Studies in the heart of campus reflects that African-American studies is central to the academic purpose of the university.

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