Best way to surf the world on an African crest

As chairman of Harvard's department of Afro-American studies and director of its W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research, Henry Louis Gates Jr. has had a hand in so many projects that it's dizzying. But Africana.com, his private joint venture into Internet-magazine publishing, is among the most sweeping of Gates's endeavors. The online publication focuses on African-influenced cultures around the world - products of the dispersion of peoples from Africa, especially since the 16th century - and on the politics and culture of the vast continent itself. With a combination of news reporting, political and cultural analysis, and "lifestyle" coverage (think Oprah meets the Economist), the site offers something for everyone.

Curious about Afro-British literature, the South African hip-hop scene, early efforts to host the next summer Olympics in an African country, African-American attitudes toward spanking children, the Afro/Gypsy connection, tourism in Zimbabwe, the best way to exercise your legs? Read all about it on Africana.com. The Web site, edited by Philippe Wamba, offers lots of other features, too, like an online learning center ("Blackboard"), a charitable Adopt-a-School program, and downloadable music. And through the site you can also buy Encarta Africana, the digital encyclopedia that Gates edited with Kwame Anthony Appiah (a Harvard colleague who's also on the Africana.com board). In fact, Africana.com started out as a marketing device for the encyclopedia, but over the past two years it has acquired its own identity - one that's just as educational and more up-to-date. But don't just take our word for it: Time Warner thinks so highly of Africana.com that earlier this fall the company bought it. Explore the online magazine at http://www.africana.com.