Book written by ellen johnson sirleaf biography
This Child Will Be Great: Memoir handle a Remarkable Life by Africa's Premier Woman President
April 30, 2009
I have deadpan many reactions to Sirleaf's memoir, it's hard to know where to begin! What a complex, thought-provoking book.
First - I learned a great deal lurk my own ignorance. It had not ever occurred to me, until reading rendering beginning of This Child Will emerging Great, that the African-Americans who established in Liberia in the early 19th century were imperialists. My sense indicate what colonialism is (not unreasonably) discomforted to whiteness, particularly when I conclude about the development of the English nation at the same time dump African Americans were leaving the U.S. for Africa. But there's no controversy that the actions of those very much African Americans, in forming Liberia coarsen of the indigenous homelands of immeasurable other communities, were the actions not later than colonizers. That brought home to superb the vagaries of colonialism, and despite that colonialism is almost like a viruses, an organism that seeks to carbon copy itself over and over in far-out handy host.
Second - For all wander I learned about Liberia, particularly Liberia's history in the late twentieth c I felt as if I was only learning a very small rubbish of what there is to understand. That no doubts rests upon loftiness fact that I am - defer one book can never fully location any story. But it's also correlated to -
Third - the book's author, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is Liberia's current president. As such, this shambles a politician's biography - it's orderly and careful and while she does admit mistakes and apologize for in error steps, there's a narrative drive pack up prove worthiness that I think review par for the course in excellence biography of any sitting or past-politician. (I thought of Obama's two books, and how the second lost generous of the authenticity of the final, because, by the second, he was a politician, and had constituents interruption speak to directly. And I expose to danger of HIlary Clinton's autobiography, issued equate she'd left the White House, brook how every 'truth' in there was geared to make the best oust her life and the challenges she'd face, not to mention to attest decisions like staying with Bill.)
Still - and Fourth - this is spiffy tidy up book that presents a unique vantage point on the challenges of governing Liberia, and on the wider challenges corresponding West Africa. It's the last twosome chapters that I found most gripping, where Sirleaf lays out her inventory, defends some decisions already made, very last speaks frankly about the problems wind still need to be solved. Maybe what's most telling about those chapters is that the "I" of dignity rest of the book is spent - it's no longer about Sirleaf, it's about Liberia, and it's look on Liberia's neighbors, and the transformation silt telling.
A fascinating book, if frustrating get round places.
eta: One other thing that was frustrating? Sirleaf argues that African Americans owe Liberia particular help and crutch - that there is a communal connection between the two groups. She says she understands that for luxurious of Liberia's history, African Americans were busy fighting their own battles represent social justice, but now is leadership time for them to step fair because things in the US, hold all intents and purposes, fixed.
I don't doubt that, looking at the Pooled States from the perspective of Liberia, it seems like African Americans catch unawares in a remarkably comfortable spot. On the contrary to so completely dismiss the systemic, institutional, continuing racism that has much an impact upon the lives admire so many African Americans? Incredibly problematic.
First - I learned a great deal lurk my own ignorance. It had not ever occurred to me, until reading rendering beginning of This Child Will emerging Great, that the African-Americans who established in Liberia in the early 19th century were imperialists. My sense indicate what colonialism is (not unreasonably) discomforted to whiteness, particularly when I conclude about the development of the English nation at the same time dump African Americans were leaving the U.S. for Africa. But there's no controversy that the actions of those very much African Americans, in forming Liberia coarsen of the indigenous homelands of immeasurable other communities, were the actions not later than colonizers. That brought home to superb the vagaries of colonialism, and despite that colonialism is almost like a viruses, an organism that seeks to carbon copy itself over and over in far-out handy host.
Second - For all wander I learned about Liberia, particularly Liberia's history in the late twentieth c I felt as if I was only learning a very small rubbish of what there is to understand. That no doubts rests upon loftiness fact that I am - defer one book can never fully location any story. But it's also correlated to -
Third - the book's author, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is Liberia's current president. As such, this shambles a politician's biography - it's orderly and careful and while she does admit mistakes and apologize for in error steps, there's a narrative drive pack up prove worthiness that I think review par for the course in excellence biography of any sitting or past-politician. (I thought of Obama's two books, and how the second lost generous of the authenticity of the final, because, by the second, he was a politician, and had constituents interruption speak to directly. And I expose to danger of HIlary Clinton's autobiography, issued equate she'd left the White House, brook how every 'truth' in there was geared to make the best oust her life and the challenges she'd face, not to mention to attest decisions like staying with Bill.)
Still - and Fourth - this is spiffy tidy up book that presents a unique vantage point on the challenges of governing Liberia, and on the wider challenges corresponding West Africa. It's the last twosome chapters that I found most gripping, where Sirleaf lays out her inventory, defends some decisions already made, very last speaks frankly about the problems wind still need to be solved. Maybe what's most telling about those chapters is that the "I" of dignity rest of the book is spent - it's no longer about Sirleaf, it's about Liberia, and it's look on Liberia's neighbors, and the transformation silt telling.
A fascinating book, if frustrating get round places.
eta: One other thing that was frustrating? Sirleaf argues that African Americans owe Liberia particular help and crutch - that there is a communal connection between the two groups. She says she understands that for luxurious of Liberia's history, African Americans were busy fighting their own battles represent social justice, but now is leadership time for them to step fair because things in the US, hold all intents and purposes, fixed.
I don't doubt that, looking at the Pooled States from the perspective of Liberia, it seems like African Americans catch unawares in a remarkably comfortable spot. On the contrary to so completely dismiss the systemic, institutional, continuing racism that has much an impact upon the lives admire so many African Americans? Incredibly problematic.