PAPERBACK ISBN: 0-88258-162-7    $24.95

174 pages; 5.5 x 8.5 inches

An Interpretative History

by Akintola Wyse

In The Krio of Sierra Leone: An Interpretative History, author Akintola Wyse embarks on an insightful study of Krio history that examines the formative influences on the Krio people and their impact on the decline of their fortunes in post-independence Sierra Leone.  Settling in Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Cameroon, Zaire, and South Africa, the Krio left remarkable imprints. A fusion of black returnees from the Americas and Africans recaptured during the illegal slave trade, they were at once “Western” and African. With an outlook largely shaped by the initial settlers of Freetown, Sierra Leone, who saw themselves as civilizing agents, the Krio pioneered as missionaries, educators, linguists, and civil servants—manning the middle levels of the colonial civil service throughout West Africa. Although the Krio have been criticized for undermining traditional African culture, this historical overview demonstrates that their contributions have actually helped West African peoples cope with changing sociopolitical dynamics.

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