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Explore 'The Signifying Monkey,' a foundational text by Henry Louis Gates Jr., which revolutionized African American literary and cultural theory. This seminal work unpacks the concept of signifying, analyzing its complex role in Black vernacular traditions and its profound influence on understanding African American identity and expression.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a distinguished American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker. As the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University, he is renowned for his pioneering work in African American studies and his influential television series, 'Finding Your Roots,' which explores the genealogy of famous individuals.