Contemporary Africa is the product of three major influences–an indigenous heritage, Western culture, and Islamic culture. The Africans looks at these legacies, how they co-exist, and their impact on the continent and the people who are called African. This reader, a supplement to the telecourse, provides an introduction to a variety of historical and contemporary writings on Africa. This book was developed as a study guide to go with a televised course, The Africans produced by WETA-TV, Washington and the BBC, but can stand alone as a useful reference book.  Contains comprehensive references to further reading.