Alabama in Africa: Booker T. Washington, the German Empire, and the Globalization of the New South

"Alabama in Africa: Booker T. Washington, the German Empire, and the Globalization of the New South," is a compelling exploration of an ambitious yet controversial expedition in 1901 led by Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute to transplant Southern cotton agriculture to Togo, a German colony in West Africa. Author Andrew Zimmerman delves into the intricate tapestry of labor, race, and economic motives behind this venture, illustrating how it mirrored and perpetuated the social inequalities of the post-Reconstruction American South and the German Empire. Zimmerman’s narrative is not just a recount of historical events, but an insightful analysis of the reciprocal influences shaping the politics and economies across continents. By highlighting the resistance and agency of local communities—from African cotton cultivators to African American freedpeople—Zimmerman challenges the notion of passive colonial subjects, offering instead a story of active engagement and complex social dynamics. This thought-provoking book, published on April 15, 2010, is ideal for college students and scholars interested in the intersections of economic and racial justice, and the global implications of local actions.