From the inception of a the British colony in Kenya in the late 19th
nineteenth century, the United States has been intimately involved in
the country's development. African-Americans were particularly attracted
to Kenya from early on, not least because the apparent "black-white"
conflict there, while symbolizing Africa's struggle for freedom from
European colonialism, also seemed to mirror what they were experiencing
in the U.S. The struggle in Kenya symbolized Africa's struggle for
freedom from European colonialism. It was thought that lessons could be
learned from Kenya, demonstrated when Malcolm X proclaimed a "Mau Mau in
Harlem" might be necessary. To counter Soviet propaganda that suggested
that the U.S. was supportive of colonialism, John F. Kennedy was among
those who backed a campaign to bring Kenyans to the U.S. for higher
education - included among these students was Barack H. Obama, Sr., who
was brought to the University of Hawaii. Based on extensive archival
research in the U.S., the U.K., and Kenya, this book not only sheds
light on the historical forces that created a U.S. President but also
the unshakeable bonds that historically have historically conjoined
Black America, Africa, and the United States as a whole. Horne offers
important context in understanding how a man of Kenyan descent could one
day occupy the White House.