Go Back to Africa? - Paperback

by Ranney B. Jackson Sr. (Author)

The title of this book, "Go back to Africa?" is a statement offensive to African Americans. African Americans feel offended because despite all they have endured and done for the United States in terms of slave labor, defending the United States in two world wars and civil war, protecting whites against the indigenous, there are still Americans who feel that they do not belong in the United States. Despite the U.S. Government's acceptance of African Americans through the constitution, the 13th and 14th amendments, the emancipation proclamation, and other documents, African Americans feel discriminated against. This feeling began from 1790 to 1800 when Whites felt that African Americans should be relocated to Africa due to their increased population. The American Colonization Society was formed in 1816 and relocated African Americans to Liberia. Those who relocated to Africa encountered similar struggles with the indigenous as the Europeans when they settled in the Americas. The Americo-Liberians, as they are called, established a similar government as the United States. In 1980 a Master Sergeant, Samuel Doe staged a blooded coup d'état against the Americo-Liberian government. Doe caused President Tolbert's assassination and ordered the execution of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Chief Justice among others. On January 6th, some Americans staged an insurrection, which many classified as a coup d'état. The author argues that the insurrection was not a coup and calls on his readers to compare Liberia's 1980 coup to the January 6th insurrection. In 1990, Liberia encountered a 14-year civil war similar to the American Civil war of 1861. The author admonishes Americans about the consequences and implications of coup d'états and civil wars and asks Americans to avoid either.