In addition to Norman and Jones, many academic stars attended the conference, coming from all over the country and globe to attend, moderate and speak at a variety of panels with the department's faculty.
Saturday's panel topics included the department's evolution, African-American music, African-American women, African-American art and literature, race in the 21st century, African-American religion, the Afro-Atlantic diaspora, the future of Afro-American Studies, and race and the economy.
At the panel concerning African-American women, Visiting Professor Jamaica Kincaid said the day's celebration "moved" her.
By describing the events marking the department's creation in 1969 so clearly, she said, Rudenstine and others were implicitly apologizing for what the president called Harvard's "previous ignorance."
She added, "And I think the audience acted very lovingly in forgiving this institution."
-Vasugi V. Ganeshananthan contributed to the reporting of this story.