Dr. David J. Peavler specializes in race relations and American history. He is the author of several award-winning articles in leading academic publications such as the Journal of African American History. Among his current projects are the publication of a book on African American pioneers in the American West following Reconstruction, and a second book entitled "Jim Crow in the Land of John Brown" that details the origins of segregation and the Black Freedom Struggle in America’s Heartland. In addition to his service to the community in higher education, he is an Air Force veteran and former instructor of fire/rescue personnel in Iraq.