The Center for Culture and History of Black Diaspora was established to promote and support the production of scholarly, cultural and creative work related to the experiences of Black people in the Diaspora. The Center encourages and supports the study of Black Diaspora in all its complexities as shaped by the historical experiences of Africa and the West, and actively promotes comparative perspectives to illuminate the particular experiences of African people both on the continent and in the Diaspora.

 As a unit of the university, the Center seeks to strengthen the university's commitment by:

• providing and nurturing an intellectual and supportive environment in the production and dissemination of historical and cultural knowledge about people of African decent;
• providing and supporting research opportunities to faculty and students;
• generating knowledge through support of conferences, seminars and colloquia;
• serving the university's external community with programming of interest and relevance to the diverse population of Chicago;
• collaborating with other academic units, centers and programs in sustaining an intellectual culture which promotes greater understanding of people of African decent.

The Center promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary and comparative scholarship, expressive cultural and creative works, and programming which primarily focus on Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean. It seeks to establish reciprocal relationships with other academic units, centers, programs and community organizations and their constituents through community outreach. The Center's programs are open to faculty, students and staff.