Out Of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa

I'm a white American who was quite impressed with Richburg's account. While many reviewers write valid criticisms of _Out of America_, I've noticed that an awful lot of the negative reviews use words like "Uncle Tom," "oreo," "self-hating," "chained slave," and the like. One reviewer who merely stated she wished she'd thrown the book into the trash before reading it is a fan of Johnnie Cochran and the "misunderstood" Al Sharpton. I can't say I give much credence to the opinions of people who think playing the race card is an honorable way to conduct oneself in politics.
I missed out on most of the media hoopla when _Out of America_ was released, but I do recall how scandalized the _Boston Globe_'s book reviewer was at Richburg's gladness that his ancestors were taken forcibly out of Africa -- so scandalized that he couldn't, or more likely wouldn't, acknowledge that Richburg wrestled with nearly unbearable emotional turmoil before he could admit the gladness even to himself. Nor could the reviewer hear Richburg's belief in the work ethic, in the value of helping oneself, and that culture and the values it imparts do indeed matter to one's lot in life as anything more than fodder for the far right. Of course, that's typical of the _Globe_.
The reason I give this book only three stars is that Richburg gives the plight of African women extremely short shrift. While this might strike some as political correctness of the most short-sighted kind, consider these facts:
-- African women do a disproportionately large share of the labor on their continent, even when one considers that women in general do much of the world's menial labor. They carry water, tend animals, grow crops, and, of course, care for their children -- work that many African men scorn, but that enables their families to survive, as squalid as that survival might be. In recent years, small-business loans given specifically to "Third World" women, rather than their husbands, have allowed them to rise admirably to the challenges of capitalism, and have brought increased health and prosperity to their families. Many such women are African, and had Richburg spotlighted them at all, it might have provided a little balance to all the soul-shattering tragedy he records.
-- While an entire chapter is devoted to AIDS and the sexual practices of Africans, Richburg never mentions the extremely high birth rate and, partly due to the woefully inadequate infrastructure, the high maternal mortality rate. Nor is there mention of the efforts of family-planning organizations, both Western and African, to set some limits on the population explosion -- efforts opposed by African men, who often tie their masculinity to how many children they can father; by tribal elders, who seem to consider liberation for women an unwanted Western cultural intrusion; and by conservative Westerners who oppose birth control and abortion for religious reasons.
-- Perhaps worst of all, while an entire page near the end of the book is devoted to the forced circumcisions of adult males, Richburg NEVER once mentions the widespread practices of clitoridectomy, "infibulation" (sewing the labia shut so that blood and urine may exit but nothing may enter), and other forms of female genital mutilation, all done for the purpose of "preserving the chastity" of young girls. Feminists worldwide have long fought to have these barbaric practices classified as human-rights violations, and are now backed by many who, to be blunt, didn't care much one way or the other about the horrors inflicted upon Muslim women until September 11th. You won't learn that from reading _Out of America_, however.
Richburg, I would say, seems quaintly unaware that women have any sexuality apart from that which strictly services men. On one page he briefly mentions with shocked disapproval European women who frequent an African beach (perhaps a nude one, though I don't recall exactly) to pick up black men, and piously intones -- this is a paraphrase -- that he has no idea what they could be thinking. Uh, Keith, you think maybe they just want to get laid? You *do* realize that many women *enjoy* sex rather than just tolerate it, right?
To add insult to injury, Richburg seldom mentions any woman, either Western or African, at all in his book unless it's with a reference to her looks. In fact, his only specific mention of African women is the Miss Kenya beauty contest, and how African men tend to "like their meat white." No mention of how ordinary African women, light or dark, might aspire to being something more than cuts of meat for male delectation. And Richburg seems incapable of mentioning even his female professional colleagues without some words indicating how attractive he finds them: they're "beautiful," "fiery-haired," "a quite striking woman, really," and "a strikingly tall, dark-skinned beauty." He uses nearly no descriptors at all when introducing his male colleagues.
Again, much of this probably sounds like rank political correctness to most reviewers who have read _Out of America_, but I'm far from P.C. myself, and I consider it a quite valid criticism that Richburg never considered the plights specific to more than half of the inhabitants of the continent. (Incidentally, I emailed him several years ago with these comments, but he never replied.)
Let me reiterate, however, that leaving this aside, it is a solidly reported book that raises many painful, and overdue, questions about both black and white Westerners' views of and relationships to Africa.

This book is absolutely outstanding in several ways. It is fascinating reading and there is profound wisdom in it and goodwill. One main thread is the hands-on knowledge of the brutal reality of life in Africa. An attempt at explaining what went wrong with Africa, why its countries could not make it, like South-East Asian countries did. Another is a Black American's look at race, the feeling of race, and the place of racial difference outside Western civilization. For a white man it was a revelation. Pity my English is not good enough to sing the praise of "Out of America" as loud as I would.

Keith Richburg has written an excellent account of his three years in Africa. His courage for stating how he truly feels and recording things many people don't want to hear attests to the honesty of the book.
I read the book while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. I spent as much time there as Mr. Richburg and speak the native language of my area. But my perception differs. As a reporter, Mr. Richburg went where the news is and regretably, the news that sells in America is war, famine and massacres.
I saw a part of Africa still full of true generosity and a strong sense of obligation to their fellow man. I lived with people who selflessly gave to others when they have nothing to give by most of the worlds standards. I also saw a people who still keep a strong spirit and determination despite the little opportunity they've been giving in life.
I met people there who saw first hand the wars and the brutality and Mr. Richburg reported truthfully what he saw. But remember, Africa is a continent, not a country, and it is not all corruption and war. There is still a lot of goodness there and hope for the future. I just wish Mr. Richburg could have seen more of this.

As a Black person in America you are always wondering where you belong. It is common for most Blacks to want to go home to their Mother Land; Africa. Is Africa that great though? Will you really feel like you fit in over there? The book Out of America truly makes you think twice before you would go to Africa and trade in your American herritage to be a part of the Mother Land.I am a Black person living in America. I do feel like I am constantly looking for my roots and where I belong. It runs across my mind everyday weather I would fit in more in America or Africa. After reading Out Of America I do not believe that I am ment to live in Africa. I will go there and visit but I will never live there. Out of America is suggested to anyone who feels they are searching and need help. This book will expand your mind to many levels of emotions and you will develop a true idea of what a being Black in America is all about.

A hard-hitting autobiography, this work by Keith Richburg gave me, a South African currently on holiday in SA (living and working in London last year) deep insights into the demise of once-successful Africa-based economies after balance of power was 'democratically' shifted from principle-driven educated whites to large tribalist and nepotist african one-party states. Richburg reports on a wide range of topics from top-level government corruption and crime right down to street-level harassment of tourists and the like. He manages to find humour in many situations initially but gradually his perceptions change as over three years his initial root-finding mission falls by the wayside and the nature of Africa is revealed to him. A highly cynical conclusion leaves a rather bitter taste, however the facts are presented in a realistic and no-nonsense light. A must read for all South African politicians and would-be statespersons- we must learn from others' mistakes and not allow the trend of perpetual decline to continue here in sa.

After three years in Africa Keith Richburg was worn out and ready to get out. I lived in the same Kenya as him for 20 years and left reluctantly, just before he arrived.
He looked on his three years as a long time. I look on my 20 years as a short time.
And I know personally many Somalis who suffered tragedy. Hos Maina, the photographer killed in Somalia, was a friend of mine too. I saw many sad things and suffered some of them.
But I still loved the place. And I still have hope for it.
It is good that Mr Richburg breaks through the foolish, fragile, romantic view of Africa. What he writes is largely true. I have seen it. But he doesn't appear strong enough to love the place. He seems mostly to fear it.
What can you expect if you live behind high walls with two guard dogs and a watchman? I never did and I did not live in fear. And I lived in the same Nairobi as he did. It was an exhilarating, living place, full of highs and lows.
You have to have a strong heart to love a place when it is sick, as well as when it is beautiful.
Mr Richburg saw too many bad things in too short a time. I don't blame him, but I saw many other things and I will remember them forever as a hope for the future.

Keith Richburg writes with passion and frankness often void from coverage of sub-Saharan Africa. He does away with the sentimentality and political-correctness so in vogue when referring to Africa. Instead he provides a painfully honest portrayal of the frustrations of "development" in the region. As a long-time American resident of several sub-Saharan countries, I appreciated his candor and courage in voicing the very serious woes of this troubled area of the world. If critics decry Mr. Richburg's lack of solutions in his book, perhaps it is because so few are to be found in this vast land with its hundreds of tribes, dozens of nations, and myriad factions. The book is well-written, and simply written. The prose is clean and clear. Despite the horrific scenes depicted, I found I could not put it down until finishing the last page. This is by far the most honest, angry, and accurate book I have read on the politics of sub-Saharan Africa.

My only disagreement with Mr Richberg is that I think racial harmony can only come when we celebrate our diversity--to be "color blind" is to devalue individuals. I think we should recognize ethnicity and be grateful for our diversity. I found this book to be heart-breaking in its description of the seemingly hopeless political/ethnic/spiritual situations destroying the African continent.

I'm intrigued by the reviews that used phrases like "waste of paper" and "dangerous," which seem to reveal more about the reviewer than the book. Is it too hard to see that pointing out the terrible problems in Africa does not mean a belief in Africans' inferiority, or white superiority? The greatest atrocities in history have been accomplished by leaders unrestrained by the rule of law. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, in the words of Lord Acton. It's not the Africanness or the blackness of African leaders that's the problem. It's their corruption, which flourishes in places without the legal institutions necessary to safeguard a free society, without the rule of law. Unfortunately, and all too often, leaders with unlimited power and access to riches (especially those not of their own creation) are prone to abuse the rights of the people at large. Is it because they're black? Of course not. Because they're African? Don't be ridiculous. Does the existence of such dictators mean there is nothing and no one good in their nation and continent? Certainly not. To those of you who reacted defensively to this book, please understand that most people out there, and certainly most who would be inclined to read such a book, are deeply concerned about the problems in Africa (and elsewhere, including at home whether the US or another country) and are genuinely seeking to understand. I think I can speak for many when I say I wish I knew how to help. Surely taking a close look at problems is the first step to finding solutions.

Mr Richburg has an extremely deep understanding of Africa though he visited most of the troublespots.He however seems to have lost hope in the continent,this is understandable considering the debacle he witnessed in Rwanda,Somalia etc.Ican actually identify with him being a Nigerian in the U.S.All hope is not yet lost for Africa considering the elections in Nigeria,changes in South Africa.It is surely an important book that i would wholeheartedly recomend to any body interested in Africa.It would be interesting for him to write a follow up say in 10 years.Probably by then there would be more changes if the aids scourge is arrested somewhat

What was the point of this book? That Keith Richburg is an American, not an African?
That such an astoundingly banal revelation is actually controversial in America speaks volumes about American ignorance of the outside world.
This book makes excellent points about American race relations, and paints a compelling portrait of the three years the author spent in Africa. As an understanding of Africa it is wanting. The guy spoke no African language and had remarkably little preparation for his job. At the end of three years he was still so clueless about African culture he didn't realize that a gap between one's front teeth is considered beautiful in Africa. And while he does point out in the paperback reprint that he did report from several other African countries, his observation that "Good news is no news." doesn't seem to have made him realize that as a reporter he was constantly exposed to the worst side of Africa today, and missed ordinary life in sle! epy villages. To most Africans I know, this year's rainfall is the most important news.
Who is to blame for this? I think his superiors who sent him there. I noticed that both his predecessor and successor were also black. Does the _Washington Post_ think that blacks have some kind of special cultural insight into Africa, that they don't need the language and culture training that any good reporter should get before going overseas? Or is Nairobi their idea of a "Jim Crow" assignment, to keep black reporters away from real news, which whites are supposed to report?
Granted that Africa is going through some tough times, but I wonder what his take on Europe would have been if most of what he had seen had been Northern Ireland and the former Yugoslavia.
Let us have reporters, of all colors, who are better trained in the languages and cultures of the regions of the world they report on.

The author was a reporter in Africa for some years. He covered war, disease, corruption, etc. In the book he talks about how life was in Africa for him. He gives his opinions on things, leaving journalism to the side. He doesn't think everything is Africa is compeletely wonderful and isn't afraid to say so. It is interesting to note that many of the people who hated this book were from Africa - and left. To the U.S.

Paul Theroux got similar flack for his book Dark Star Safari. Another good read.

Richburg's book is both immensely important and immensely readable. His command is majesterial. He marshalls facts and personal experiences to substantiate the twin arguments that are at the book's core: (1) that modern-day Africa is a place of almost unimaginable violence and dysfunction, and (2) that black American identity has wrongly tried to establish an unquestioning affinity with that troubled continent.

Truth is always in short supply, particularly at the nexus of race, identity and global politics. Richburg's book speaks with a precision and intelligence that inform, provoke and ultimately enlighten his readers. Highly recommended.

I recently read the trade paperback edition of "Out of America" and enjoyed it and recommend it. I grew up in the Detroit area and recognize the situation in Detroit and its suburbs that he describes. He is very brave and principled to write this book. It flies in the face of all the PC claptrap coming out of universities today. I would be curious to know his reception at book signings. He appeared at one in Ann Arbor at a minority bookstore and I can't believe he would have been greeted by anything but hostility. I especially enjoyed the chapter in which he castigated the double standard applied to Africa by "Black leaders" from this country. It's too bad Bill Clinton didn't read this book before his African trip.

I knew Keith when he was in University (LSE), and we were friends for a bit, so I will say this... This book is interesting and informative. However, I do think it was written from too emotional of a standpoint. He is a good journalist, and I have always found his dispatches in the Post informative and well written, but this book should only be seen as a very personal and emotional journey written by someone who at the time was clearly fresh out of the war in Somalia, and perhaps was traumatized in some way. It was for me too personal, and so the only thing I got out of it was understanding the psychology of the writer more than understanding Africa. It should really not be seen as a fair analysis of African politics or history. The effects of colonialism on Africa are barely touched on, among other things. That is not to say that arent interesting stories in the book.
One other note - I noticed someone posted a comment saying that he was posted in Hong Kong directly after writing this book, perhaps to escape a possible backlash against him coming from the African-American community. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that for the last 15 years or more, he has been a foreign correspondant for the Post, and so hasnt lived in the U.S. for all of that time. Its that simple - he doesnt live here, not before he was posted to Africa, and not since.
So, I hate to criticize a book of an old friend, but I did have problems with it. I do hope that perhaps one day, Keith will revisit the whole thing, take another look at Africa, himself, and what this book really meant, and will then write a less emotional and personal, and more analytical book about Africa. I do think that it is worth reading, but I totally understand why people are (and should be) upset by the basic premise of the book which says "thank God my ancestors were enslaved so that I could be an American." There is something really wrong with that logic, and again - I hope that he will revisit this issue someday in his writings, because I know that he cant be totally serious.

Richburg's book attacks the myths of Afrocentrists in the United States, a very easy target. Richburg succeeds, hence the often admiring reviews, but there is little here new about Africa. The key failing is that Richburg is so keen to knock down Afro-centrist myths that he creates an Americano-centric myth. He treats Africa as a whole in the same mistaken way that the Afro-centrists do. Richburg's thought as he saw the bodies of slaughtered Rwandans in the river that "there but for the grace of God go I" sounds good but is actually vapid. The idea is that but for the enforced journey to America through slavery that he too might have been a slaughtered Rwandan. In fact, few if any slaves came to America from Rwanda, a country which is rather a long way away and very different from the west African regions from which slaves were bought. The point is that Africa is as diverse as Europe or Asia, something which neither Richburg nor his Afro-centrist opponents seem to understand. It is as if Irish American journalists went to Bosnia and declared that had it not been for the potato famine which drove their ancestors to leave for the USA, then they too would have ended up being butchered by the Serbs at Srebrenica. A book then for those interested in the debates about Africa between Americans rather than for those interested in finding out about what is actually happening in a large, diverse and interesting continent.

Very well written, excellent first hand information . Recommend to anyone that is interested in the African countries.
It will give you a good background on the turmoil that is facing most of Africa.

The author, Richburg, described what he saw in Africa. I appreciate his writing in plain, candid and simple language. And he has made several comparisons and contrasts between East Asia and Africa.
However, I think Richburg missed some very important points. I would like to point out what Richburg saw in Africa bear striking similarities with China not so long ago. As recent as early 1970s (the Cultural Revolution), people in China were no better off than Africans. Life were cheap in China just as they are in Africa today. No one counted the deads in China as in Africa. Human made famines had killed millions of Chinese like what is happening in Africa today. In fact, for the last two hunderd years of Chinese history, these seem to be the norms. China were as screwed up as Africa.
And yet today China seems to recover from the past woes. And China is an emerging "super power", politically, militarily, and economically. Based on these reasons, one can conclude that Richburg was too pessimistic about Africa.
The reason I think what seperates China and Africa is that China has a litarary tradition. The litarary tradition in China is more than two thousand years old and is probably the longest in the world. China always has an intellectual class who think that they have duties to speak out against the evils. And it is the Chinese intellegesia's responsibilities to correct the wrongs and ills of the society. They are the "conscience" of China. And that is why I think China can recover so quickly after Mao's death.
By contrast, Africa does not have this tradition. In fact, it does not have a litarary tradition at all. Therefore, I am as pessimistic about the future of Africa as Richburg is. And Richbug missed this very important point. Africans missed the indegenous historical devolopment of its own "intellegensia". That is the answer to the "collective denial" of the Africans. No one wants to speak plain truth in Africa or about Africa.

This book is absolutely outstanding in several ways. It is fascinating reading and there is profound wisdom in it and goodwill. One main thread is the hands-on knowledge of the brutal reality of life in Africa. An attempt at explaining what went wrong with Africa, why its countries could not make it, like South-East Asian countries did. Another is a Black American's look at race, the feeling of race, and the place of racial difference outside Western civilization. For a white man it was a revelation. Pity my English is not good enough to sing the praise of "Out of America" as loud as I would.

Yes, many africans were annoyed by the frankness of Mr.Richburg.
Indeed, what the author describes in his book has taken place not only in Africa, but in many other places as well. Does the author talk about the atrocities committed by King Leopold II in the Congo, which might be at the roots of present evils there?
What may be at the root cause of animosity between the two tribes in Rwanda? It is easy to blame blacks in America for for many ills, but does anyone ever talk about the possibility of slavery in America as being at the cause of many ills today?
One has to look and see what took place in Yougoslavia, South Africa, Germany, Russia, Iraq, and in Pol Pot's killing fields and realize that evil is everywhere.
Today, these places are considered "civilized" because we have quickly forgot the past. The author may have lost his seep trying to come up with new adjectives to describe for example what took place during the culture revolution in China or during the 1918 bolshevik revolution in Russia.
There are crooks, devils, dictators and madmen everywhere. It is the main reason our founding fathers put the system of checks and balance, and installed democracy so people can elect leaders who are accountable to the people. This system weeds out would-be maniacs before they seize power.
Until then, Africa will never know no peace.
Sincerly, I really liked the book, for someone must have the courage to confront Africa. Hopefully the Africans will read and draw a lesson from it.

In "Out of America" Richburg asks questions most people are either afraid to ask, or simply avoid asking in order to not be thought politically "incorrect"! I'm a white African, so should be at the opposite racial pole from Keith, but found myself confronting many of the same questions, and perhaps reaching many similar conclusions as he did.

I find the criticisms of this book disturbing: Richburg never sets out to be the voice of authority on either Africa or African-Americans. He simply narrates his story, his experience. And has the courage to externalize questions most of us hide deep beneath the surface.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in Africa. It doesn't answer the questions, but it does give you another authentic perspective on how ridiculously complex Africa's problems are. Too often we are given neat, simple solutions to Africa's problems - but that is because we are not asking the right questions.

We need to be asking some of these "unaskable" questions that Richburg confronts. Thanks for this refreshing, honest view of Africa!

This outstanding book by a black American journalist for The Washington Post recounts the emotional and spiritual awakening of the author upon his fateful visit to his ancestral home, Africa. He vividly recounts his adventurers and journalistic travails on the Dark Continent, and finds he belongs happily and unregretfully in America. He thanks Providence for the fact his ancestors were brought to America, even as slaves, so that he could be born a free man in America. One of the most poignant scenes in the book sums it up. In shock, he sees countless numbers of black corpses floating down a river in Rwanda. He states, as politically incorrect as it may be, "There but by the grace of God, go I." The book is a must read for everyone, particularly those who want to supplant America for a Utopian paradise that has never existed in Africa or elsewhere - not even in socialism, communism, or any form of collectivism.
Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Sentinel of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)

Fabulous and well written book which tells of an African experience form an American Black Man's point of view. His conclusions can only echo what every other American should know, "we are the luckiest people on earth."

Mr. Richburg takes the reader on an enlightening journey through Africa. The "real Africa" as he coins it. He shows us the pain, the suffering, the hatred, the racism, the corrupt, and the disease, of Africa. He takes us by the hand into the heart and soul of a country caught in the downward spiral of ignorance and apathy. It was not a pretty sight. But that was the point. As we follow Mr. Richburg, step by step, in his journey through Africa, he invites, no...pleads, with us to also accompany him on a personal journey. A journey toward enlightenment, understanding, and truth. And the pain and ugliness of the physical journey is what makes the personal journey so fulfilling and profound. Mr. Richburg developes a special intimacy with the reader. He keeps us close to him down this path toward enlightenment and understanding, hoping we will accidentally stumble upon it just as he did. The truth we all come to acquire at the end of this shared journey (both the physical and the personal) would be of no value if not for painful and uncomfortable roads we took to get there. Mr. Richburg came away from Africa a much wiser man, and certainly more courageous, than before he went. And he's hoping that we will also. A highly recomended book for those of the African American race. Or, anyone for that matter, who would like to witness a re-awakening of the human spirit.

This is a great book.
The author details the atrocities and endless cycles of despotism in Africa. The book is a good glimpse inside the hopelessness many feel years after coming to Africa hoping to "make a difference." The work is dark and dreary but filled with lots of good info. My main problem with the book is that after 200+ pages of detailing the bleak and violent future faced by country upon country in Africa, revealing his suspicion that nothing can be done to save this trainwreck of a continent, he turns around and says something to the effect of, "But now we have South Africa and things will be better there for blacks. Blacks can have a good future in South Africa." Huhh??? Based on what? He gives no solid evidence that So.Af. is any different from Rhodesia c.1960s. In fact, I'll make a bet, partially based on Richburg's book, and the histories of other former colonies, that over the next 20 years South Africa will go down the tubes a la Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe. I do not delight in this belief, but I see no real evidence to doubt it. Richburg doubts it because he cannot bring himself to leave no room for hope. That's a kind notion but I don't see that the future will bear him out.

Out of America is courageous, real and honest. Richburg doesn't beat around the bush about what he saw and what he felt while working as a foreign correspondent in Africa. While the book is a personal memoir, it gives the reader a good understanding of Africa today from the best vantagepoint that any one person could ever ask for.
In one chapter the author compares African countries to Southeast Asian countries, both fresh out of colonialism, both with many ethnic groups, both battling corruption. Why then do the Asian countries flourish while African countries, rich in natural resources, languish? Being the objective journalist that he is Richburg doesn't offer his opinion but does present the opinions of others including some prominent African leaders. After sifting through the worn out excuses and clichés, some of the more thoughtful answers are surprising and thought provoking.
I read this book while working as an expat in Zambia. I can identify with many of the author's observations and feelings. The only disappointment was Richburg's acceptance of the common liberal view of South African whites, even though he only spent a few weeks in RSA. His analysis of the rest of southern Africa is objective and real. Out of America is highly recommended reading for anyone whose interest in Africa goes beyond game parks and waterfalls.

Richburg's book is both immensely important and immensely readable. His command is majesterial. He marshalls facts and personal experiences to substantiate the twin arguments that are at the book's core: (1) that modern-day Africa is a place of almost unimaginable violence and dysfunction, and (2) that black American identity has wrongly tried to establish an unquestioning affinity with that troubled continent.

Truth is always in short supply, particularly at the nexus of race, identity and global politics. Richburg's book speaks with a precision and intelligence that inform, provoke and ultimately enlighten his readers. Highly recommended.

The author was a reporter in Africa for some years. He covered war, disease, corruption, etc. In the book he talks about how life was in Africa for him. He gives his opinions on things, leaving journalism to the side. He doesn't think everything is Africa is compeletely wonderful and isn't afraid to say so. It is interesting to note that many of the people who hated this book were from Africa - and left. To the U.S.

Paul Theroux got similar flack for his book Dark Star Safari. Another good read.

Bill Clinton is telling Americans that it is "enlightened self-interest" that should motivate us to give aid to African nations. He, and every other American, should read this book. If he knew that billions of dollars are paying for the palaces of dictators who buy or murder their way through elections, would he have the courage to stop giving them money? Or would he cave in to America's civil rights leaders who share the same tribal premises as these dictators? I think we know enough about Clinton to know the answer. I cannot help but admire Richburg's integrity -- he states the truth in the midst of a political correctness that has declared his book racist in advance. He, and not Jesse Jackson and his ilk, share Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision of an America where men are judged, "...not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." I noticed an earlier review that derided Richburg for not suggesting a solution to Africa's problems. In his defense, I honestly think he could not see a solution. There may be a solution, but after all the death and misery he has seen, how can he be expected to have hope that it will work? I commend Mr. Richburg for this excellent and honest work. He is an example of a journalism at its best.

As a Black person in America you are always wondering where you belong. It is common for most Blacks to want to go home to their Mother Land; Africa. Is Africa that great though? Will you really feel like you fit in over there? The book Out of America truly makes you think twice before you would go to Africa and trade in your American herritage to be a part of the Mother Land.I am a Black person living in America. I do feel like I am constantly looking for my roots and where I belong. It runs across my mind everyday weather I would fit in more in America or Africa. After reading Out Of America I do not believe that I am ment to live in Africa. I will go there and visit but I will never live there. Out of America is suggested to anyone who feels they are searching and need help. This book will expand your mind to many levels of emotions and you will develop a true idea of what a being Black in America is all about.

Several years ago, my father who was employed by a Hong Kong based textile manufacturer was stationed in the West African nation of Nigeria. My father had the opportunity on business travel to visit Ivory Coast as well as Kenya. While my father never witnessed the bloodbath described by Keith Richburg in Rwanda and Somalia, he became increasingly disillusioned by the future prospects for that continent. Massive corruption exists at all levels of the government. Bribes are a part of daily life in Nigeria. But foreign firms are equally to blame for looting the continent. All major industries in Nigeria are managed by foreigners (ie. Oil-Holland, Petrochemical-Japan, Textiles-Hong Kong, Autos-Germans, Motorcycles-Japan, Airline-Portugal, etc.). At the United Nigerian Textile Limited (UNTL) subsidary, kickbacks for foreign exchange into the Swiss Bank accounts of Nigerian government officials amounted to the hundreds of millions of dollars. What was even more amazing was the fact that the Nigerians educated in Europe would actually participate in assisting foreign multinationals in looting their nation. So while tens of millions live in poverty, an elite group of Nigerian government bureaucrats would enrich themselves with expensive cars, high priced prostitutes from Lebanon, and huge estates in Europe. A friend at the U.S. State Dept in Kaduna Nigeria described Africa this way: "Africa is called the dark continent. It's better that Africa stay in the dark"

A hard-hitting autobiography, this work by Keith Richburg gave me, a South African currently on holiday in SA (living and working in London last year) deep insights into the demise of once-successful Africa-based economies after balance of power was 'democratically' shifted from principle-driven educated whites to large tribalist and nepotist african one-party states. Richburg reports on a wide range of topics from top-level government corruption and crime right down to street-level harassment of tourists and the like. He manages to find humour in many situations initially but gradually his perceptions change as over three years his initial root-finding mission falls by the wayside and the nature of Africa is revealed to him. A highly cynical conclusion leaves a rather bitter taste, however the facts are presented in a realistic and no-nonsense light. A must read for all South African politicians and would-be statespersons- we must learn from others' mistakes and not allow the trend of perpetual decline to continue here in sa.

Iam shocked and confused when I read on the internet about richburg's comment when he says he is American but not African American.Iam a young african who is very proud of my continent,though Iam greatly pained by the betrayals by our leaders.I haven't read the copy of "out of america" yet but I think richburg forgets that colonialists must be blamed for many atrocities on his Beautifull"ANCESTOR'S LAND ". The recent genocide in Rwanda can happen anywhere ,besides the genociders had support from some "civilised nations"

Mr Richburg has an extremely deep understanding of Africa though he visited most of the troublespots.He however seems to have lost hope in the continent,this is understandable considering the debacle he witnessed in Rwanda,Somalia etc.Ican actually identify with him being a Nigerian in the U.S.All hope is not yet lost for Africa considering the elections in Nigeria,changes in South Africa.It is surely an important book that i would wholeheartedly recomend to any body interested in Africa.It would be interesting for him to write a follow up say in 10 years.Probably by then there would be more changes if the aids scourge is arrested somewhat

My only disagreement with Mr Richberg is that I think racial harmony can only come when we celebrate our diversity--to be "color blind" is to devalue individuals. I think we should recognize ethnicity and be grateful for our diversity. I found this book to be heart-breaking in its description of the seemingly hopeless political/ethnic/spiritual situations destroying the African continent.

wife here: Never before had someone traveled extensively through Africa (as a reporter for over three years) and exposed the truth of the brutality of the warring factions tearing this continent apart. Things have only gotten worse. Mr. Richburg, a Black journalist, finally comes to the conclusion that slavery removed his people from a life that would have been Hell on Earth. Africa is not the sought after lovely homeland of his dreams. The leaders there are to blame. Corruption, murder, tribal warfare, disease, poverty, drought and starvation are the rule of the day. Billions of dollars of aid misspent, stolen and squandered have left ordinary citizens defenseless. Read this book and experience, through Mr. Richburg, the sad truth. (Recommended to his audience by Michael Savage).