Greetings, I am Richard A. Yarborough. I am a Professor of English and African-American literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, and I currently serve as a Faculty Research Associate at the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. My academic journey began at Michigan State University, where I pursued my B.A. in English before attaining my Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1980. My scholarly pursuits have predominantly focused on the nuanced exploration of African-American literature, with particular emphasis on pre-World War I African-American literary works and the intricate representations of slavery and race within American cultural discourse.