Through the arts, humanities and social sciences, the African American Studies program at EIU explores key aspects of the experiences of peoples of African descent throughout the world. While the focus is on the African American experiences, the program is not an enclave for African Americans only. Its broad educational purposes are to engender among all students an intellectual appreciation of Black life in Africa and the Americas, and especially the United States, to enrich EIU curriculum and increase the relevance of an EIU education by providing our students with an appreciation of all cultures. The program offers both a major and a minor.