In May 1990, a group of Honors Directors from approximately
twenty Historically and Predominantly Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs
and PBCUs) met at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to discuss plans for a
national organization of honors programs designed to address the specific needs
of honors education for African-American students. The group of Directors
agreed to establish an organization that they called the National Association
of African-American Honors Programs (NAAAHP). The group established a set of
goals designed to promote the continued empowerment of its constituents
(students) through enhanced cognitive and affective experiences. These goals
further emphasize the need for empathetic responsiveness on the part of these
constituents, who through inspiration from this organization will be encouraged
to serve as catalysts for instigating a better way of life in their
communities, the nation, and the world. The first annual meeting for the newly
established organization was held in Houston, Texas in October 1992.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
- Stimulate and encourage community service and leadership as
one of the highest aims of education;
- Advocate the funding of honors programs by federal and state
agencies as well as by private
- Facilitate the enrollment of African-American students into
graduate and professional schools;
- Promote a curriculum that fosters a lifelong disciplined
approach to knowledge and scholarship through
inquiry and exploration; and
- Knowledge and an appreciation of African-American culture as
a mirror for understanding
