Despite being deeply involved with CU Boulder, Regent Emerita Linda Shoemaker credits her time with the NAACP of Boulder County for her interest in CU’s Center for African and African American Studies. During her time as an elected member of the CU Board of Regents (2015-2021), Linda became convinced that supporting the CAAAS would not only help CU’s Black population, but also for the CU campus to help it achieve its goals for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Furthermore, she recognized that it would be a needed bridge from the campus into the Boulder community.