AASA Mission

The mission of African American Student Affairs (AASA) is to facilitate a support system that helps students achieve academic excellence and an enriching African American cultural experience at the University of Arizona. AASA provides opportunities for students to learn more about leadership, social justice and creating community.

The mission is achieved through a focus on four key areas:

• Building community among currently enrolled students
• Providing personal and leadership development opportunities
• Advancing the on-going development of a culturally competent campus community
• Supporting, diversity initiatives at the University of Arizona

The University of Arizona’s African American Cultural Resource Center was established in 1991, a year and a half after students protested in front of the administration building for more resources and attention to be dedicated to supporting diversity and the unique needs of Black students on campus. From that protest, the students established an area dedicated developing leadership, promoting social justice, and improving academic skills. The building that housed the newly formed cultural unit, formerly belonging to the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, was renamed the Martin Luther King Jr. Building and is now affectionately referred to as “the MLK”. Over the decades African American Student Affairs, housed in the Martin Luther King Jr. Building has maintained our commitment to providing a comfortable and dynamic space for students and advancing diversity at the University of Arizona.