Description
Book SynopsisAn account of the rise, fall, and persistence of the 20th century's Black Zionist dream -- the movement's creation of a homeland in Africa.
Trade Review“This much needed and long awaited book is a godsend not only for its courageous handling of its controversial subject but also for the more general information that it presents in the field of Liberian history. It is indispensable work for anyone professing an interest in Black Atlantic studies.”—Wilson Jeremiah Moses, editor of
Liberian Dreams: Back-to-Africa Narratives from the 1850s and Ferree Professor of American History at Pennsylvania State University
“An exhaustive study of the Pan-African aspects of Liberia’s history from 1914 to 1940. . . . A prodigious effort. . . . This book should become a standard reference for an important period in Liberia’s Pan-African history.” -- Tony Martin * Journal of African American History *
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Brothers and Strangers is an illuminating, politically charged. . . history of ethnic and class conflict in Liberia." -- Minkah Makalani * Journal of Colonialism & Colonial History *
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Brothers and Strangers thoughtfully engages the usefulness of diaspora as a theoretical template for deciphering the histories and interests of African peoples long separated by oceans and time." -- Claude A. Clegg III * Journal of American History *
"A thoughtful history. . . . It is an honest and frank discussion about the role of race, ethnicity and class in the Pan-African narrative. Its comprehensiveness, its attention to detail, and its clarity of thought make this work a substantial contribution to African, African American, and Atlantic history." -- Lester P. Lee * The Americas *
"Writing with the command of a scholar deeply versed in the topics at hand, Sundiata provides a rich and thoughtful assessment of Liberia, black America, and the relationship between these transatlantic communities during a quarter century of contestations over charges of slavery, struggles over black rule, and the nature of transatlantic black linkages.What makes Sundiata’s book such worthwhile reading is that he tackles the topics with incisive interpretation and analysis. The book is thus a powerful commentary on the state of relations among Africans and the diaspora." -- James H. Meriwether * African Affairs *
Table of ContentsList of Illustration ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. Confronting the Motherland 11
2. The Black Zion 48
3. Abuse 79
4. Investigation of an Investigation 97
5. Dollar Diplomacy 140
6. A New Deal for Liberia 170
7. Enterprise in Black and White 211
8. The Literary Mirror 229
9. The "Native Problem" 252
10. Fascism and New Zions 286
11. Postscript: Africa and Human Rights 325
Notes 341
Select Bibliography 407
Index 429
