Kwame Essien studies African social and cultural issues in the context of the African Diaspora. With a Master's degree in African Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Essien is the recipient of the Patrice Lumumba Fellowship and a PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin.Toyin Falola is Frances Higginbotham Nalle Centennial professor in history at the University of Texas, Austin, and a prolific editor and author. Some of his books include Culture and Customs of Nigeria (Greenwood, 2000) and Key Events in African History (Greenwood 2002).