Michael O. Emerson is the author of over 15 books and 100 other publications. Considered one of the nation's leading scholars of religion and race, he has won multiple research and teaching awards. His work has been funded by several million dollars in grants, and he has appeared on national and international media outlets for the past quarter of a century. As the Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, a leading non-partisan thinktank, he works to communicate the implications of American religious life for national policies, and to help policymakers understand the impact of policy on U.S. religions.

Glenn E. Bracey II is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Villanova University, where his work specializes in race, religion, and social movements. Bracey is an award-winning teacher and scholar with publications in leading academic journals. An emerging voice on issues ranging from critical race theory to racial protests and national politics, Bracey has appeared in several national media outlets.