Junius P. Rodriguez was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and graduated from Nicholls State University in 1979.  Rodriguez grew up in the community of Raceland, Louisiana, and taught in the public school system of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, for nearly a decade.  In 1979, Rodriguez was elected to the position of Parish Councilman after Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, adopted a Home Rule Charter to institute the council system of government.  He served in this role for one term from 1979-1983.  Rodriguez obtained his Masters Degree from Louisiana State University (1987), and a Ph.D. from Auburn University (1992).  Dr. Rodriguez is currently an associate professor of history and division chair at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois.  Rodriguez has edited a series of award-winning reference books on the history of slavery including: The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, two volumes (1997) – ABC-CLIO, Chronology of World Slavery (1999) – ABC-CLIO, The Louisiana Purchase: A Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia (2002) – ABC-CLIO, Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion, two volumes (2007) – Greenwood, Slavery in the United States: A Social, Political, and Historical Encyclopedia, two volumes (2007) – ABC-CLIO, Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World, three volumes (2007) – M.E. Sharpe, In addition, he assisted with development of the documentary “Human Bondage” that aired as part of the History Channel’s History Mysteries series in 2000.