"Walking Partners" are those alumni and friends who join us in our effort to fulfill the mission of the Center for African American Studies (CAAS) Princeton University. We have borrowed the phrase from our colleague, Cornel West. Dr. West refers to his intellectual resources – those persons who inform how he thinks about and sees the world – as his "walking partners". They travel with him wherever he goes.

We like to think of our "Walking Partners" as those persons who have decided to travel with the Center on its remarkable journey to deepen our students' and fellow citizens' understanding of the histories of African Americans and the complexities of race here and around the globe. Each partner brings his or her unique skill set to this task. They support, through their time, networks, ideas, and contributions, all of the major initiatives that define the crucial work of the Center. As such, our partners travel wherever we go!

"Walking Partners" acquire first-hand knowledge of the inner-workings of the Center for African American Studies. They receive updates of our programming and the achievements of our faculty and students; they are invited to and given preferred status at our signature events like the Toni Morrison Lectures or the James Baldwin Lecture; and they will have opportunities to participate in conversations with our faculty through blogs, CAAS Facebook, and CAAS Twitter. More importantly, our "Walking Partners" are asked to "find their feet" in some dimension of the Center's work – to help us extend the sphere of influence of our core mission.

We invite you to join our efforts. Become a "Walking Partner".