The African-American Institute quietly rounds its first decade this year, as vastly transformed within during this eventful period as Africa has been without. The Institute's anniversary marks a significant milestone in the history of contemporary U.S. - African relations. The event is perhaps no less noteworthy for the history of area-oriented private American organizations.

The early work of the Institute addressed itself mainly to assisting African students and visitors in this country, and to informing an American public still largely unaware of Africa's growing ferment. It was in 1956, for instance, that AFRICA REPORT began publication, quickly gaining for itself an influential place as America's leading publication on contemporary African affairs.