The Department of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA often identifies itself as “the intellectual arm of the revolution.” What is meant by this is that PAS was founded and has evolved, along with the discipline, to not only deepen the intellect of the students, but to encourage them to be a resource to the entire community and agents of change, who remain connected with and empower Black and oppressed people. The more formal mission of the Department of Pan-African Studies is to: “Educate and engage students and the broader community about the dynamic and complex experiences of the Pan-African world through an interdisciplinary curriculum and innovative methods of teaching, learning, research, and community engagement that empower them to make necessary and positive social, political, and economic change.”
Pan-African Studies is an interdisciplinary academic unit engaged in disseminating, producing, and advancing the knowledge of Black people from throughout the globe by using a culturally relevant framework and utilizing community-engaged pedagogical and epistemological approaches. The Department works to develop intellectually, culturally, and socially responsible students who can achieve their educational, personal, collective and professional visions through theoretical and practical exploration of the Pan-African world in a manner that is in partnership with and contributory to the people, communities and environments with whom/which they engage and study.