The Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNACC) has been a cultural hub for African American students and the Champaign-Urbana community for over 40 years. Traditionally located at 708 S. Matthews in Urbana, as of Fall 2014 the center is temporarily located at 51 East Gregory Drive in Champaign, Illinois. Programs include 100 Strong, Black Congratulatory, Black History month, Civic Engagement, Food 4 Da Soul, MLK Symposium, and Mom's Day. BNACC also conducts workshops involving the Academy of Arts, WBML Internet Radio, Griot Literary Magazine, Omnimov, Black Chorus, and the Women of Color student organization.

Mission

-To serve as a vehicle for self-expression and leadership enhancement to students of African descent through the vehicles of workshops, seminars, and performing groups.

-To promote campus-wide understanding of the unique contributions of African-Americans to the life and culture of the campus, the nation and indeed the world.

Goals

- To encourage within African American students a growing sense of pride and dignity based on their rightful cultural heritage, and to assist them in acquiring a growing cultural awareness.

- To create within the University a body of valuable information about and talent related to the African American experience, so that the University and the C-U community may be afforded an objective and accurate interpretation of that experience through the performing arts, classes, seminars, and other appropriate media.

- To assist the University community in understanding the relevance, efficacy and the strength of the African American experience in terms which will encourage non-African Americans to understand and appreciate the importance of diversity.

- To assume a pro-active position in issues affecting African American students enrolled in or considering admission to the University.

- To develop cultural and educational programs which will assist and support African American, and other students enrolled at the University.

- To provide opportunities for all students to engage in the vital cultural and social experience of meeting, interacting with, and learning from students of diverse backgrounds.

- To support programs that sustain African American culture.

-To provide assistance to African American, and other, student organizations on this campus.

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Citation:

 Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center http://studentaffairs.illinois.edu/diversity/bnaacc/index.html​

eBlackCU Bruce Nesbitt Oral History