Ep 33: The CAAAS 5-Year Anniversary Episode: Building the Beloved Community at CU Boulder and Beyond, 2021-2026

"Five years rooted in history, five years reaching toward freedom—this is the work, this is the cause." — Dr. Reiland Rabaka In this special anniversary episode of The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy, Dr. Reiland Rabaka reflects on the first five years of The Center for African and African American Studies/The CAAAS at the University of Colorado Boulder. What began as a vision has become a dynamic and evolving center grounded in research, artistic expression, and community engagement. This episode traces the origins of the center, from years of advocacy to its founding in 2021, shaped by broader movements for justice and collective action. It highlights the center's core pillars as a research hub, an arts space, and a home for building the Beloved Community. Through these efforts, The CAAAS has cultivated intellectual communities, supported creative work, and created pathways for students, artists, and community members to connect and collaborate. Featuring a powerful interview conducted by KGNU, the episode also explores the impact of a historic $2 million investment from university leadership. This commitment represents not only institutional support, but a shared belief in the center's mission to expand access, foster dialogue, and build bridges across communities. At its heart, this episode is about more than looking back. It is about looking forward. It asks what it means to build institutions that do more than exist, institutions that actively transform. It invites listeners to reflect on the role of Black Studies in shaping a more just and inclusive future, and on the responsibility we all share in that work. As Dr. Rabaka reminds us throughout the episode, the Beloved Community is not an abstract ideal. It is a daily practice rooted in inclusion, creativity, and collective care. See all show notes and articles on The CAAAS on our website