Ben Vinson III, Ph.D., is a distinguished historian and the 18th president of Howard University. He is also President of the American Historical Association and Past President of the Conference on Latin American History (CLAH). Dr. Vinson is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Antiquarian Society. He is an award-winning historian whose works center on the African diaspora with a focus on Latin America. He has served on several boards, including the American Council of Education, Fulbright, National Humanities Alliance, and the National Humanities Center, among others.

Paul Tiyambe Zeleza is a globally recognized scholar, academic leader, and public intellectual whose life and career span seven countries—Zimbabwe, Malawi, Britain, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, and the United States. He has served in leadership roles in 14 universities and academic organizations, including as the President U.S. African Studies Association.  Professor Zeleza has written over 400 articles, chapters, and essays, 31 books, and given more than 300 keynote addresses and lectures in 33 countries on topics such as African economic and intellectual history, diaspora and gender, cultural studies, literary criticism, and human rights.  He has been honored as one of 43 Great Immigrants by The New York Times