In 1989 North Carolina State University created a position of Facilitator of African American Affairs within the Office of the Provost. Dr. Augustus M. "Gus" Witherspoon became the first to fill the position. His responsibilities came to include helping in the interview process of all associate professors, reviewing and making recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure, coordinating college dean reviews, and serving as liaison between faculty bodies and administration on academic matters. The Facilitator of African-American Affairs was also responsible for the University Recruitment and Retention Programs and the programmatic activities of the African-American Cultural Center, which was established in 1991 through Dr. Witherspoon's efforts. The position also had a liaison role with African-American faculty and staff organizations and African-American student organizations.

Following Dr. Witherspoon's untimely death in 1994, Drs. William C. Grant, Rupert W. Nacoste, and Jose A. Picart have followed in his footsteps. By 2000 the position had become the Vice Provost for Diversity and African American Affairs.

By 2007, the Vice Provost for Diversity and African American Affairs had the primary responsibility of forging a shared vision concerning the recruitment, retention, and graduation of a diverse student body. The position has been the focal point in the office of the Provost for advocating, assisting, encouraging, evaluating, and monitoring African American undergraduate and graduate student success. The Vice Provost facilitates communication about diversity as being at the core of the University's academic mission.

Additional information on the early history of African American affairs at North Carolina State University can be found in The Provost's Office, North Carolina State University: An Informal History, 1955-1993