Africare: Black American Philanthropy in Africa

In this much needed history, Campbell's well researched, tightly written prose documents the story of the philanthropic organization and provides a rich account of how foreign aid nurtured and shaped the emerging cultures of Africa. Africare was at the center of much of the aid that went from the US to new African nations. The combination of facts and anecdotal illustrations from various African communities makes for a lively tale. Campbell (professor emeritus, history, Agnes Scott College) organizes her work by such topics as building a constituency, health care, agriculture modernization, monetization's role in food security, encouraging good governance, and refugee emergency relief. She also shows how a philanthropic organization moved beyond its original aspiration--to mobilize African American charity--to become an intermediary for national and international aid to Africans. This insightful account of the metamorphosis of such an organization's leadership provides an abundance of detail to chronicle lessons worth learning, giving fresh insight into situations too often reduced to accounts of politicians. . . . Highly recommended.

--J. H. Smith, Choice

Africare by Penelope Campbell makes a valuable contribution to the largely undocumented history of African-American philanthropy to Africa that started as early as the eighteenth century. The book also suggests the complexities of African-Americans doing development work in Africa, moving beyond simple assumptions that shared racial heritage and identify necessarily improves practice. Africare is a fine-grained historical study of an important Pan-African organization that will enhance our understanding of global black philanthropy and transnationalism in general.

--Jackie Copeland-Carson, PhD; chair of Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network; and president of Copeland Carson & Associates

*Outstanding Academic Title --Choice Magazine

In this much needed history, Campbell's well researched, tightly written prose documents the story of the philanthropic organization and provides a rich account of how foreign aid nurtured and shaped the emerging cultures of Africa. Africare was at the center of much of the aid that went from the US to new African nations. The combination of facts and anecdotal illustrations from various African communities makes for a lively tale. Campbell (professor emeritus, history, Agnes Scott College) organizes her work by such topics as building a constituency, health care, agriculture modernization, monetization's role in food security, encouraging good governance, and refugee emergency relief. She also shows how a philanthropic organization moved beyond its original aspiration--to mobilize African American charity--to become an intermediary for national and international aid to Africans. This insightful account of the metamorphosis of such an organization's leadership provides an abundance of detail to chronicle lessons worth learning, giving fresh insight into situations too often reduced to accounts of politicians. . . . Highly recommended.

--J. H. Smith, Choice

Africare by Penelope Campbell makes a valuable contribution to the largely undocumented history of African-American philanthropy to Africa that started as early as the eighteenth century. The book also suggests the complexities of African-Americans doing development work in Africa, moving beyond simple assumptions that shared racial heritage and identify necessarily improves practice. Africare is a fine-grained historical study of an important Pan-African organization that will enhance our understanding of global black philanthropy and transnationalism in general.

--Jackie Copeland-Carson, PhD; chair of Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network; and president of Copeland Carson & Associates

*Outstanding Academic Title --Choice Magazine

-In this much needed history, Campbell's well researched, tightly written prose documents the story of the philanthropic organization and provides a rich account of how foreign aid nurtured and shaped the emerging cultures of Africa. Africare was at the center of much of the aid that went from the US to new African nations. The combination of facts and anecdotal illustrations from various African communities makes for a lively tale. Campbell (professor emeritus, history, Agnes Scott College) organizes her work by such topics as building a constituency, health care, agriculture modernization, monetization's role in food security, encouraging good governance, and refugee emergency relief. She also shows how a philanthropic organization moved beyond its original aspiration--to mobilize African American charity--to become an intermediary for national and international aid to Africans. This insightful account of the metamorphosis of such an organization's leadership provides an abundance of detail to chronicle lessons worth learning, giving fresh insight into situations too often reduced to accounts of politicians. . . . Highly recommended.-

--J. H. Smith, Choice

-Africare by Penelope Campbell makes a valuable contribution to the largely undocumented history of African-American philanthropy to Africa that started as early as the eighteenth century. The book also suggests the complexities of African-Americans doing development work in Africa, moving beyond simple assumptions that shared racial heritage and identify necessarily improves practice. Africare is a fine-grained historical study of an important Pan-African organization that will enhance our understanding of global black philanthropy and transnationalism in general.-

--Jackie Copeland-Carson, PhD; chair of Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network; and president of Copeland Carson & Associates