The future of African studies in the United States will be determined, to a large degree, by the viability of small African studies programs. More of these small programs exist than the large and better-funded Title VI programs. Spread throughout the country, the small programs involve more faculty and students than do the Tide VI programs. In recent years, however, these small programs have been beset by several seemingly intractable problems, including lack of adequate funding from both internal and external sources, isolation, lack of sustained institutional support, competition from other area studies programs on campus, and shifting intellectual and research interests on the part of the local Africanist faculty. This article will both explore these complex interrelated problems and offer some recommendations.