Rivers led a ribbon cutting ceremony that culminated in the slicing of a bow over a projected image from the Africana Encyclopedia with a pair of giant sheers.

"This is a major victory," Rivers told a packed house. "In launching this program we are launching a model that we want to replicate across the country."

The guests then toured the House's Technology Center, filled with new computer equipment that was piled in a Barker Center hallway just last week.

The students were already at work in the lab, poking around the video introduction to Africana, visiting everythingblack.com and loudly playing DMX, Christina Aguilera and

Eminem.

The classes will use a curriculum developed under the leadership of Aaron Meyers '98. There will be four single-sex groups divided between high school and middle school students. The class topics this term are revolutionary African-Americans and African-American music.

Students will spend the first hour of each session in a lecture format and the second hour working on projects. The computer resources will be available to Baker House visitors outside of class throughout the week.