Overview

In the early 1900s, the United States was a place where blacks in the south were systematically disenfranchised by Jim Crow laws and faced daily the threat of violence. The U.S. Army allowed black men to serve as soldiers and non-commissioned officers, and on rare occasions commissioned officers, but institutional racism persisted, and a clear color line prevailed. From 1910 to 1942, black American officers volunteered for a complex and risky enterprise to train and command forces in Liberia, a country founded by freed black American slaves. These officers performed their duties as instruments of imperialism for a country that was, at best, ambivalent about having them serve under arms at home and abroad. African American Officers in Liberia: A Pestiferous Rotation, 1910-1942 by Brian G. Shellum tells the story of seventeen African American officers who trained, reorganized, and commanded the Liberian Frontier Force, whose purpose was to defend Liberia from partition by its colonial neighbors and subjugate the local indigenous groups. The endeavor was financed by the U.S. but directed by the Liberian government. Essentially, the United States extended its newfound imperial reach and policy of ""Dollar Diplomacy"" to Liberia, a country it considered a U.S protectorate. Shellum explores U.S. foreign policy towards Liberia and the African American diaspora, while detailing the African American military experience in the first half of the twentieth century. Shellum brings to life the story of the African American officers who carried out a dangerous mission in Liberia for an American government that did not treat them as equal citizens even in their homeland, and provides recognition for their important role in preserving the independence of Liberia.

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9781612349558

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Reviews

Fascinating and extremely important. . . . This work will prove to be an essential reference for anyone who writes, studies, or is otherwise interested in this period of Liberian, military, or African American history. --Charles A. Wash Jr., executive director of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center --Charles A. Wash Jr. (09/18/2017) A monumental piece of missing American history. . . . A poignant reminder of how African Americans willingly served their country steadfastly in extremely challenging and controversial assignments. --Krewasky A. Salter, curator for military history at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture --Krewasky A. Salter (09/18/2017) A seminal contribution to military history, presenting the exemplary qualities of leadership, professionalism, and resilience that have relevance today. This book is worth reading by historians and history buffs alike. --Fombah Sirleaf, director of Liberia National Security Agency --Fombah Sirleaf (09/18/2017)

Fascinating and extremely important. . . . This work will prove to be an essential reference for anyone who writes, studies, or is otherwise interested in this period of Liberian, military, or African American history. --Charles A. Wash Jr., executive director of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center-- (09/18/2017) A seminal contribution to military history, presenting the exemplary qualities of leadership, professionalism, and resilience that have relevance today. This book is worth reading by historians and history buffs alike. --Fombah Sirleaf, director of Liberia National Security Agency-- (09/18/2017) This work should be read by anyone interested in the creation of effective armed forces in corrupt Third World countries, and it also throws light on America's quasi-official protectorate in Liberia and the careers of black officers in the segregated army. --Jerry Trombella, NYMAS Review--Jerry Trombella NYMAS Review This book offers a well-written and well-researched account of how seventeen African American officers strove to help Liberia develop an effective defense force. . . . Those interested in black military history will find this volume to be a sad but fascinating read. --Roger D. Cunningham, Journal of America's Military Past--Roger D. Cunningham Journal of America's Military Past I didn't know that for several decades in the early 20th century, the United States Army had a training, advising and leading mission in Liberia. What's more, most of the officers who carried out the mission were black Americans. Brian G. Shellum, a retired Army tank and intelligence officer, does a workmanlike job of relating this neglected tale. --Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times Book Review-- (11/09/2018) African American Officers in Liberia is lively true story of black Americans given unusual responsibility at a time when civil rights was barely a dream. --David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express--David Luhrssen Shepherd Express (09/20/2018) A monumental piece of missing American history. . . . A poignant reminder of how African Americans willingly served their country steadfastly in extremely challenging and controversial assignments. --Krewasky A. Salter, curator for military history at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture-- (09/18/2017)

Fascinating and extremely important. . . . This work will prove to be an essential reference for anyone who writes, studies, or is otherwise interested in this period of Liberian, military, or African American history. --Charles A. Wash Jr., executive director of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center --Charles A. Wash Jr. (09/18/2017) A monumental piece of missing American history. . . . A poignant reminder of how African Americans willingly served their country steadfastly in extremely challenging and controversial assignments. --Krewasky A. Salter, curator for military history at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture --Krewasky A. Salter (09/18/2017) A seminal contribution to military history, presenting the exemplary qualities of leadership, professionalism, and resilience that have relevance today. This book is worth reading by historians and history buffs alike. --Fombah Sirleaf, director of Liberia National Security Agency --Fombah Sirleaf (09/18/2017)

Author Information

Brian G. Shellum is a retired army officer and former historian and intelligence officer with the Department of Defense. He is the author of Black Cadet in a White Bastion: Charles Young at West Point (Nebraska, 2006) and Black Officer in a Buffalo Soldier Regiment: The Military Career of Charles Young (Nebraska, 2010).  

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