In 1969 a task force was formed to investigate curricular and extra-curricular activities that could potentially represent the study body more appropriately. In the same year, President Richard Jones called upon members of the campus, including both students and faculty, to start working on a proposal for the establishment of a new Black Studies department at Cortland.

Less than a year later, a proposal was established. It called for a new department, including a director with a secretary, consisting of at least five full-time faculty members who would teach for both majors and minors. Initially this proposal was approved on campus, however, after being deliberated by the State University Central Office, it was not initially ratified under the reasoning that "it lacks the coherence and evidence of sound planning, which usually are present in curricular proposals submitted by the College at Cortland" (Ralston, Cortland College an Illustrated History, 230). The proposal was revised and later approved.

In 1971, the College officially established the Black Studies department, which was first chaired by James McKee. Clement Mbadinuju and McKee rotated the chairing role over the years. However, around 1974-1975 the program experienced sustainability issues that made it difficult to maintain as a full academic department. Faculty retention, fiscal concerns, and campus support greatly affected the outcome of the department. The department was later reduced to program status instead and then reorganized into an inter-disciplinary program, changing the name to the Office of the Coordinator of Black Studies, and consisting of faculty from other departments.

In 1983, James McKee presented his findings at a campus Sandwich Seminar regarding the state of Black Studies on campus. He highlighted specific reasons for the department's departure, while at the same time, proposed potential solutions to create a more inclusive campus environment. These findings were compiled into a document referred to as the "McKee Report."

Eventually a minor for African-American Studies emerged under the guidance of the Center for Minority and Women's Studies, established in the mid-1980’s. By then the Black Studies department no longer existed. Today, the Africana Studies department operates on campus, it was established in the 2005-2006 academic year.