Beyond its interdisciplinary curriculum, the Intercollegiate Department of Black Studies (IDBS) contributes to the intellectual and cultural life of The Claremont Colleges through its yearly programs. Previous programs have been devoted to such topics as African American art, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, religion, women, Pan-Africanism, Haiti, and the African American family. Among the distinguished guests who have participated in past programs are Alice Walker, Derek Walcott, Houston Baker, bell hooks, Cornell West, Na'im Akbar, Julius Nyerere, Wade Nobles, Gloria Wade-Gayles, and other prominent writers and scholars.