ABOUT THE AUTHOR L. Lloyd Stewart, the second of six children, is a third generation native of Albany, NY and an eighth generation native of New York State. His Ancestors on his father’s side are Yoruba from Nigeria, West Africa and on his mother’s side his Ancestors are Tikar from Cameroon, West Africa. Mr. Stewart is the father of six children, the oldest four of whom he raised as a single parent. He is also blessed with nine Grandchildren, who are the lights of his life. Mr. Stewart began his career as the Director of the Albany Office of the New York Sate Legislative Institute of Baruch College’s Poverty Research Project. Subsequently, he was appointed Policy Analyst with the New York State Assembly – Office of Research and Analysis. In 1980, Mr. Stewart became a Senior Budget Analyst with the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee. In 1984, he founded and served as President/CEO of Stewart Associates, a lobbying and consulting firm. As Principal, Mr. Stewart became the first registered independent African-American lobbyist in New York State history. He presently serves in that capacity. In 1993, Mr. Stewart was appointed President/CEO of the Urban League of Northeastern New York, Inc. by its Board of Directors. During his tenure, he was directly responsible for increasing the agency’s operating budget from $116, 000 to $1.7 million. In 1996, he left his position with the Urban League to realize a lifelong dream to live and work in Africa. While living in South Africa, Mr. Stewart secured the position of Manager of Economic Development for the City of Midrand’s Development Corporation, Middev. Mr. Stewart has participated in extended “study-tours” to Egypt, Ghana and Zimbabwe and has visited a number of other African countries. He has written several articles, editorials and papers on African and African American history and the African Diaspora. He is presently the African American history writer for the Urban Voices Newspaper of the Capital Region (New York). He also serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the African Reflections Foundation (Albany, NY and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa). Mr. Stewart attended Columbia University on a scholarship and, later transferred to the State University of New York at Albany, as a Van Slyke scholar, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in African American History. After graduation, he accepted a Graduate Assistantship in the University’s African American Studies Department.