In many American universities, African-American and African Studies were the proud products of the 1960s Civil Rights and other movements that paved the way for the recognition of the contribution of African-Americans to the development of the United States in particular and world civilization in general. Another dimension of that struggle was the emergence of African and African-American studies as academic disciplines in universities. Gradually, the programs proliferated across the country and universities took advantage of the existence of a pool of Black scholars to establish vibrant programs that dealt with the experiences of people of African descent in the United States, the Caribbean and other places.