1992: Conceived as a multidisciplinary research and teaching project, with links to the reggae music industry

1993: Institutionalized on the Mona Campus as the Reggae Studies Unit, a Unit of the Institute of Caribbean Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Education

1994: Public lecture series launched. Recordings of these are housed in the Library of the Spoken Word, Radio Education Unit. A catalogue of holdings is in preparation by Miss June Barbour, Tutor/Coordinator of the Unit First course on Reggae taught at Mona, “Reggae, Rastafari and Jamaican Culture,” in the University's international summer school programme. Conceived by Dr Eleanor Wint and developed in collaboration with Professor Rupert Lewis and Dr Carolyn Cooper

1995: Centre co-hosted with the Bob Marley Foundation an international conference at Mona to mark the 50th anniversary of Marley's birth. Proceedings published in 2003 by Arawak Publications Garth White appointed to the Centre as a Junior Research Fellow to do work on “The Social History of Jamaican Music”

1997: Formal launch of the Reggae Studies Unit Inauguration of the annual ‘Bob Marley Lecture,' under license from the Bob Marley Foundation for the use of the name

1998: Special Issue of Social and Economic Studies on Reggae published

1999: Bibliography, Reggae, Rastafari and Jamaican Culture, compiled by Tereza Richards, co-published as a special issue of Caribbean Quarterly

2001: Launch of controversial (and highly popular) lecture series featuring reggae performers and industry experts. Guests include Ninjaman, Luciano, Bob Andy, Tony Rebel, Lady Saw, Bounty Killer, Judy Mowatt, Capleton, Christine Hewitt, Alozade, Louise Fraser-Bennett, Cherry Natural, Queen Ifrika, Leroy Sibbles, Angie Angel and Mutabaruka Michael ‘Ibo' Cooper appointed to the Centre as a Research Fellow to do work on “Jamaican Popular Music: Oral History and Curriculum Development”

The Bob Marley Lecture Named in honour of Jamaica’s most celebrated cultural ambassador, the annual lecture series focuses on a diverse range of issues.

1997: The inaugural Bob Marley Lecture: “‘Dr. Satan’s Echo Chamber’: Reggae, Technology and the Diaspora Process.” Dr. Louis Chude-Sokei, then at Bowdoin College; now at the University of California, Santa Cruz

1999: “Me an De Music: A Personal Encounter with Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae.” Professor Gordon Rohlehr, UWI, St. Augustine

2000: “Reggae and Our National Identity: The Forgotten Contribution of Peter Tosh.” Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance

2001: “More Fire: Chanting Down Babylon From Bob Marley to Capleton.” Dr. Carolyn Cooper, Co-ordinator, Reggae Studies Unit

2002: “‘Incline Thine Ear’: Roots, Reality and Culture in Jamaican Dancehall DJ Music.” Cecil Gutzmore, Lecturer at UWI, Mona and Management Training Consultant

2003: “The Challenges Facing the Jamaican Music Business.” Dr. Michael Witter, Head, Department of Economics, UWI, Mona

2004: “Black Mystory, Not History’: The Walter Rodney Story” Professor Hubert Devonish, Head, Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy, UWI, Mona.

2005: “‘Inna Govament Yard’: The Challenge of Community & Housing in Kingston’s Inner-city” Dr. Patricia Anderson, Department of Sociology & Social Work, UWI, Mona

2006: “‘Mi Never Know Mi Woulda Tun Superstar’: The Psychology of Stardom in Jamaican Popular Culture,” to be delivered by Professor Frederick Hickling, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital

2007: “Bob Marley: National Hero or National Icon?” Dr. Leachim Semaj, Consulting Psychologist