In his groundbreaking study of the Akan diaspora; Kwasi Konadu demonstrates how this cultural group originating in West Africa both engaged in and went beyond the familiar diasporic themes of maroonage; resistance; and freedom. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries; the Akan never formed a majority among other Africans in the Americas. But their leadership skills in war and political organization; efficacy in medicinal plant use and spiritual practice; and culture archived in the musical traditions; language; and patterns of African diasporic life far outweighed their sheer numbers. Konadu argues that a composite Akan culture calibrated between the Gold Coast and forest fringe made the contributions of the Akan diaspora possible. The book examines the Akan experience in Guyana; Jamaica; Antigua; Barbados; former Danish and Dutch colonies; and North America; and how those early experiences foreground the modern engagement and movement of diasporic Africans and Akan people between Ghana and North America. Locating the Akan variable in the African diasporic equation allows scholars and students of the Americas to better understand how the diasporic quilt came to be and is still evolving.
#111916 in Books Ingramcontent 2015-01-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 4.40 x .40 x 6.70l; #File Name: 0199858934160 pagesThe American West A Very Short Introduction Very Short Introductions
Review
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Very well-written; well-organized overview of the history of the ...By HerodotusVery well-written; well-organized overview of the history of the American West. Learned a lot in just an hour or so of reading...0 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Toy BookBy CarolBeThis book was so tiny it should have been labeled as a toy. Need a magnifying glass to read the tiny print.12 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Fragmented but interesting historyBy Dr. JoeEven for its small size; this book is a very incomplete account of the West when there are so many other superior histories now in print. The problem becomes apparent in the first chapter; where the author describes the 11th-century native American site of Cahokia in southern Illinois--a location that few would consider part of the West. The author advocates the vantage point of some historians in Eastern universities; who begin with what is termed "The First West;" because it was west of the thirteen colonies; their own home turf. This orientation becomes a theme of the first third of the book; thus leaving little space for the important native cultures; such as the Pueblo Indians and the Anasazi in the Southwest. Since Aron is a UCLA history prof; it's surprising that he would neglect the diverse cultures of California Indians; especially the Chumash; who built many of the 18th-century missions that became the foundations of the metropolises of LA; San Francisco; and San Diego. One yearns for meaningful coverage of other important events in the settling of the West: the covered-wagon migrations through the Great Plains; the cattle culture of Texas; the coming of the transcontinental railroads; or the Dust Bowl in the thirties.In the second half of the book; the author does show much insight on a number of topics; e.g.; the near-genocidal treatment of native Americans; the water wars; and the diverse urban culture of LA. Yet other Western cities that are growing in importance; such as Seattle; Phoenix; and Houston; are neglected. A vastly more complete--and engaging--account is Beyond the Missouri: The Story of the American West; by Richard Etulain. Yes; beyond the Missouri; Prof. Aron!
