I dedicate this book to my husband Dr. Scott C. Davidson (mi amor); our three children Yannick Rex, Kolya Gray, and Yelena May (my heart’s joy); my sisters: Norma, Rosalina, Lola, Cecelia, and Patricia (warriors) and my brothers: Mario and Enrique (good men), to my mother Florence (patient). And finally, I dedicate this book to all of the brothas and sistas on the South Side of Syracuse, NY. Despite it all, there remains a lot of hope in the hood (peace).

—Maria del Guadalupe Davidson

There are some people who enter our lives as if by grand design. James G. Spady is such a person. His scholarly work is bold and pathbreaking. As far as agency goes, I have never met a scholar whose work and life embodies so superlatively practices of freedom. Hence, it is with utmost respect that I dedicate this book to my friend, colleague, and mentor, James G. Spady.

—George Yancy