African-American Studies remains one of the more controversial disciplines in the courses of academic pursuit today. In part, much of the controversy emanates from an inability of practitioners to agree upon any rigid definition of just what constitutes and just what is encompassed within the field. At least, there is some agreement that its achievement of institutional acceptance with separate programs, departments, and granting of advanced degrees warrants its treatment as a legitimate field of pursuit in and of itself-but indeed, this is where the agreement ends.

On a range of topics, scholars in the field of African-American Studies hold decidedly different opinions. What ought we to include as African-American Studies? Is Afrocentricity a figment of the imagination or sound scientific enquiry? And what place if any does race and racism continue to play in the life changes of African-Americans? Bi-racialism, underclassness, intra-community crime and Afro-Jewish relations are also prominent subjects of consideration.

In Leading Issues in African-American Studies, BaNikongo has brought together scholars from every associated field of African-American Studies and offers a range of perspective on a myriad of topics. The text presents differing viewpoints on political, social, economic, cultural and legal issues and succeeds in addressing every major contemporary area of debate in African-American academic circles.