Outgoing Dean for Undergraduate Education David Pilbeam says the Afro-Am Department succeeded this year byhiring "relatively young, very active, highlyrespected scholars."

Yet Pilbeam questions whether there isultimately a place for Afro-Am at Harvard. Thereis, he notes, a legitimate case for Afro-Am, butthe curriculum might better fit "as a track in anAmerican Studies or American Civilizationprogram."

Gates and Appiah doubt, however, that theAfro-Am department will disappear anytime soon.

"The reason why Afro-American studies exists,"Appiah says, "is that historically,African-American literature, history and culturewere...studied in ways that reflected racistcultural assumptions." Appiah predicts that in thefuture, other ethnic studies will be increasinglyrepresented.

"In the meantime, there will continue to be ause for [Afro-Am] in the American academy," hesays. "There may be a point where it's no longeruseful, but I think it's useful now."

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles laudsGates' work with the department in his first year.And Fisher says Gates' appointment and the growthof Afro-Am was a major accomplishment for DerekBok's final year in the presidency.

Gates gives a great deal of credit to lastyear's student protesters, whose University Halldemonstrations for a stronger department, he says,prompted administrators to act.

"They had a direct effect, of course," Gatessays. "The administration was committed, but...thestudent protests lit a fire under the community.It made people realize how desperate the situationwas."

This year, the department drew an unprecedented45 concentrators, a number Gates expects to risesteadily. Ad although the year was hardly freefrom student protests and demon-strations, foronce none of them focused of Afro-Am.

The revived Afro-Am seems to be on a roll, andGates sounds exuberant. "It's been a gloriousyear," he says