The mission of African-American Studies in Merritt College's Department of Ethnic Studies is to offer opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the multicultural and multi-racial history and character of the American experience generally and the varied racial and ethnic experiences specifically. In addition, the aim is to locate the experiences of people of color in a larger global context in terms of identity, culture, sociology, history and economic relations between nations. As new processes of migration evolved due to global economic politics, the program’s purpose is to incorporate into the curriculum new topics of discussion and learning such as: borderlands, scarcity and migration, globalization and democracy, and the increasing ethnicization” of central economies.

The Associate of Arts in African-American Studies seeks to help community college students develop factual information, tools of analyses, and favorable attitudes toward the African-American struggle and the liberation of African people from powerlessness, poverty, and racism.

Career paths comprise the same opportunities as other humanities and social science degrees with knowledge of and commitment to community empowerment.