WHERE TO, BLACK MAN?

by Ed. Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1967

Diary of an American Negro's hitch in the Peace Corps, which sent him to Ghana in 1962-63, the book is as equivocal and frustrating as his stay, since he can't decide whether he's an angry young black man escaping the segregated U.S., or an efficient American up against tribal backwardness. He excoriates the Ghanians for their lack of interest in U.S. race relations, but fails to reach a coherent view of Ghana, conveying rather than remarking the superficiality of Nkrumahian socialism. He admires DuBois, Malcolm X--and weeps for Kennedy. His style is brisk and plain-spoken; when he's not self-consciously sounding off, he has some good stories (how British nurser-y rhymes are rewritten) and observations (the conservative mentality of his fellow Corpsmen)...but he never pins down the differences between his first post, Half Assini, and Berekum, his second. First-hand documentation of the pressures on PC volunteers from all sides (not least the U.S.). In sum, interesting but disappointing, especially for readers attracted by the title alone.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Quadrangle

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION