In 1958, UF admitted its first black student. A decade later, students nationwide remained frustrated by the pace of progress toward full integration.
In response to petitions calling for fuller integration of the black experience into the curriculum, and pressed by the campus Black Student Union, the university established the African American Studies program in 1969, with Dr. Ronald Foreman Jr. as its inaugural director.
The program awarded its first certificate in 1971 and its first degree in 2014. In addition to its commitment to examining the complexities of African American experience, the program promotes and reflects a culture of diversity and inclusion.