He has expertise in the field of religion and literature as well. Dr. Harvey earned his Ph.D. in religion from Emory University in Atlanta in 2012. His research specialization focuses on the role of indigenous spiritual traditions in the creation of knowledge among the Akan of Ghana and the Yorùbá of Nigeria, as well as on the work of Zora Neale Hurston, one of the pre-eminent writers of twentieth-century African-American literature. Dr. Harvey has presented and published nationally and internationally on topics related to the study of African forms of thought and black cultural experience. His work has also explored cultural identity issues surrounding the history of Asheville’s Goombay Festival.