Dr. Chouki El Hamel is a professor of history in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, specializing in West and Northwest Africa. His research interests focus on the spread and the growth of Islamic culture and the evolution of Islamic institutions in Africa. He is particularly interested in the subaltern relationship of servile and marginalized communities to Islamic ruling institutions. His research into these relationships revolves around issues of slavery, race/ethnicity/color, gender, power/class, and restorative justice. His most recent book is Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam (Cambridge University Press, 2013). He is now working on a new book project entitled "The Hidden Story of Maroons in Morocco."