Race and the American Story

Stephanie Shonekan is Professor of Ethnomusicology and Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland. Her doctorate in ethnomusicology/folklore is from Indiana University. Shonekan's heritage combining West Africa and the Caribbean allows her to straddle the Black world comfortably. She has published articles and chapters on Fela Kuti, hip-hop, soul and country music. Her books include The Life of Camilla Williams: African American Classical Singer and Opera Diva (2011), Soul, Country, and the USA: Race and Identity in American Music Culture (2015), Black Lives Matter & Music (2018), and Black Resistance in the Americas (2018).Adam Seagrave is Associate Professor of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, where he teaches and writes about American political ideas. He has also held tenured positions in Political Science and Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri and Northern Illinois University. He is the author of The Accessible Federalist, Liberty & Equality: The American Conversation, and The Foundations of Natural Morality. From 2019-2021 he was on the leadership team for the Educating for American Democracy project. He was awarded the 2021 American Legion National Education Award for his contributions to K-12 American civic education.