The Center for Black Studies Research was established in 1970 as an integral part of the larger research agenda at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Office of Research. The Center is organized around a tripartite mission that entails faculty support and development, black studies research, and community outreach. From the start, the Center has served as an important resource for faculty researchers, visiting and independent scholars, students, and community members interested in the field of black studies. Over the decades the Center has been a leader in advancing black studies scholarship across the disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Our range encompasses research from historical periods up to the contemporary moment. In the process, the Center has supported the research and creative projects of countless dissertation fellows, senior and visiting scholars, junior and senior faculty, filmmakers and other artists working on issues pertaining to black studies and the African Diaspora.

The Center's global and interdisciplinary focus provides a unique forum and venue, which currently attracts an international audience to the University of California, Santa Barbara, for our conferences, lectures, symposia, and post-doctoral fellowships. The Center has hosted international visiting scholars from Tunisia, German, Africa and the Caribbean, with increasing requests for visiting positions from researchers across the globe.

The Center's work and influence are extended through the publication of journals, books, and a working papers series.

The Center's governing body consists of talented and dedicated UCSB faculty members who serve as Director and Advisory Committee members. The Center is a research unit of the UCSB Office of Research.