Eric was born and raised in Los Angeles. Upon graduation from the University of Southern California in 1993, he pursued post-graduate work at UCLA. In 1996, Eric received a Master's Degree in African American studies, and four years later, he was awarded a Ph.D. in U.S. History. Eric's academic interest lies in the study of slavery and the slave trade, focusing on issues of resistance, adaptation, and survival on the part of slaves. In November of 2006, Eric published a book entitled "If We Must Die: Shipboard Insurrections in the Era of the Atlantic Slave Trade" through Louisiana State University Press.Eric began work in the entertainment industry upon receiving his Doctorate in 2000. After a short career as a freelance researcher, working on projects for DreamWorks' Feature and Animation departments, Eric found his way into the television industry as a researcher for Gay Rosenthal Productions, working on the acclaimed three part special "Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television." He has worked closely with GRP ever since, helping to produce many hours of television for networks such as NBC, CBS, Lifetime, and TV Land, and now serves as a Segment Producer on various projects.In 1996, Eric married Crissy Thomas-Taylor, his sweetheart since they met at the age of 18. Crissy, who holds a law degree from UCLA, formerly worked in DreamWorks' Story Department and later as the assistant to producer Kathleen Kennedy. She is currently a Director of Business Affairs for NBC-Universal. In 2004, Eric & Crissy welcomed twin sons, Sean Robert and Andrew Christopher into the family. Show less «