If African scholarship was dominated by Wilmot Blyden in the nineteenth century and by W. E. B. Du Bois and Cheikh Anta Diop in the first half of the twentieth century, Toyin Falola has dominated it since the 1980s, such that his legacy will remain with us for decades to come. His writings now influence policies and politics, research, and teaching at the high school and university levels, including the creation of national syllabi in various countries. Set in the context of African Studies since 1960, The Black Intellectual Renaissance examines the contributions of Falola to the field, providing readers with theoretical and methodological approaches to understand his significance and legacy. Abdul Karim Bangura teaches Research Methodology and Political Science at Howard University. He is also Researcher-in-residence of Abrahamic Connections and Islamic Peace Studies at the Center for Global Peace in the School of International Service at American University.

His book African Mathematics: From Bones to Computers won the Cecil B. Curry Book Award for 2012.