This title explores the ways in which identities were formulated under slavery and the continuing legacy affecting the lives of descendants. It addresses issues relating to the gender, ethnic and cultural factors through which enslaved Africans and their descendants interpreted their lives under slavery thereby creating communities with a shared sense of identity. The book focuses on the ways in which identities were formulated under slavery and how the struggle to escape slavery and its legacy continues to affect the lives of descendants. The introductory essay explores an approach to the study of the African diaspora that looks outward from Africa and places the following chapters, written by leading authorities from Europe and North and South America, in the context of the theoretical literature. "The Harriet Tubman Series" explores the African Diaspora in historical and contemporary times. It is named after Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913), who as a young woman fled slavery to help others escape to Canada on the Underground Railroad. "The Tubman Series" examines all aspects of the global migrations of African peoples, whether under conditions of slavery, or more recently as a product of the postcolonial conditions of the global society. The series encourages studies which focus on the quest for social justice and equitable conditions of life in the African diaspora as revealed in history, literary studies, culture, and the performing arts.