Compares the political activities of African Americans who settled in Ghana in the 1950s and 1960s with those who settled in the 1980s to the present.
After repeated coups and periods of military rule, Ghana is now one of Africa’s longest enduring democratic republics. Exiles, Entrepreneurs, and Educators compares the political proclivities of two generations of African Americans who moved to Ghana. Steven J. L. Taylor blends archival and ethnographic research, including interviews, to provide a unique perspective on these immigrants who chose to leave an economically developed country and settle in an impoverished developing country. The first generation consisted of voluntary exiles from the US who arrived from 1957 to 1966, during the regime of President Kwame Nkrumah, and embraced both Nkrumah and his left-leaning political party. In contrast to the first generation, many in the second generation left the US to establish commercial enterprises in Ghana. Although they identified with the Democratic Party while living in the US, and were politically active, they avoided political activity in Ghana and many identified with the Ghanaian party that is modeled after the Republican Party in the US. Taylor dispels some of the incorrect assumptions about African politics and provides readers with an insightful look at how developing nations can embark upon a path toward democratization.
Author(s): Steven J. L. Taylor
Series: SUNY Series in African American Studies
Publisher: SUNY Press
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 156
City: Albany
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Two Stages of African-american Migration to Ghana
Relevant Literature on African-american Migration to West Africa
Ghana as a Preferred West African Destination
Rawlings Revives the Invitation to African Americans
Methodology of the Study
Chapter 1 African-American Migration to Africa Before 1966
Migrations to Sierra Leone and Liberia
Ghana Replaces Liberia
African Americans Answer Nkrumah’s Call
The Erosion of Democracy
The 1966 Coup Makes African Americans Vulnerable
Chapter 2 From Republic to Regime
Ghana Under the National Liberation Council
The Second Republic
The Nrc/smc Years
The Rawlings Era
Chapter 3 From Regime to Republic
Democracy Under Rawlings
The Quest for Dual Citizenship
Respondents’ Assessments of Ghana’s Political Parties
Similarities Between the Partisan Structures of Ghana and the United States
Focus on Meeting Basic Needs of the Populace
Chapter 4 Entrepreneurs and Educators
Challenges of Non-citizenship
African-american Educators in Ghana
Chapter 5 Organizations Founded by African-American Expatriates
The African American Association of Ghana
The Diaspora Africa Forum
Fihankra International
Chapter 6 Summary and Outlook
Avoidance of Political Activity
African-american Partisanship in the United States and Ghana
The Vital Role of Organizations
Outlook for the Future
Notes
Bibliography
Index
