Quitting America: The Departure of a Black Man from His Native Land

By Randall Robinson

Book Overview

Bestselling author Randall Robinson, one of our nation's most distinguished African-American leaders, returns with a book certain to be as important and controversial as his classic book on reparations, The Debt. The man hailed by Cornel West as "the greatest pro-Africa freedom fighter of his generation in America" makes a striking departure, figuratively and literally: He leaves America for a life in the Caribbean. Randall Robinson is quitting America, and this book charts his journey from the most powerful nation on earth to the tiny tropical island where his wife was born. His search for a more peaceful and hospitable place grew out of the disappointment and increasing sense of abandonment he felt in the land of his own birth-an America that has sapped the creative energies of his race and "transfigured humanity." Here, in a culture that is as different from America as black is from white, Robinson shares his feelings about the need to escape the racism he has fought all his life. Yet even while he lives among his wife's people, America is never far from his mind. He discusses the current state of political and socioeconomic affairs in our country, and why the leadership we have put in place will continue to fall short of our expectations. Another stirring example of the astonishing breadth and scope of Randall Robinson's vision, Quitting America demonstrates once again why he is one of the most profound and provocative thinkers of our time.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525947582
• ISBN13: 9780525947585
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

one of the wonders of the world

MLK said it was one of the great wonders of the 20th century, black people's loyalty and literally dying devotion to the United States--checked the Iraq casualties lately? It is a hard place to live in with black skin. Just yesterday in my neighborhood I witnessed Rodney King II. No less than four white cops beating an unharmed black motorist nearly half to death over a minor traffic incident. Just last week I was spoken to and treated in a most unbelievable way, in a way that I know no white person in America would have been treated by one of our civil servants in blue, a traffic cop. Why? I drove up to an EZ pass lane where they were no longer accepting cash. I was called every name in the book, handcuffed etc for an honest and I would think common mistake. You would have thought I committed a capital crime. It's hard living with this sort of thing as a matter of routine. I could go on but won't. Randall made a good case for why no black person should be sticking around these parts. The ship's sinking anyway and we're the canary in the mine so we know. Time to tell America bye bye. It's been grand. Yeah. But we're tired of saving your white a$$ from itself, over and over and over again how many times since 1776? See ya later, take care. Life in the third world isn't so bad at least when Uncle Sam doesn't have a boot on their third world necks. Bravo RR.

Robinson Goes Home

Randall Robinson has put his detractors in a curious position: they have told him all his life that if America is such a bad place, why not just leave? Well, now he has. Quitting America soberly sheds light on the fact that many of us have grown increasingly aware of, that this country is without hope. The powers are too deeply entrenched, minds obsessed with too many glittering distractions and rhyming falsehoods, skulls and skins too thick to think or care anymore, a wasted horde of human beings compelled to the end to taking and taking and taking for the sake of a progress whose true face lay ugly and deep within the unconscious racial and class prejudices of western man. The logical consequence of European culture. Most Americans will live and die in America in quiet desperation, but it is to Robinson's great credit that he shows that there are warm shores to swim to for those who still have the spirit to leap overboard and flee the sinking ship. There is still hope for humanity, not because of America, but rather without America.

jah people

Everything Randall Robinson says here is true. Every word of it. God bless him and the people he's stood up and fought for. I like the fact that he doesn't waste his time trying to suffer fools gladly. I know of a few black middle class professional people who have left the US for other places in Canada, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean in the last couple of years. Following in the steps of WEB DuBois, and other intellectuals tired of feeding the monster. Well done RR.

Captures the anger among many whites too...

I'm not black, but I thoroughly agree with Mr. Robinson's anger and disgust at what the USA has become. Many whites like myself would also love to "quit America" and are seriously considering it. The ugly face of America has been on full display since 9/11, tho it was always there of course, as Robinson ably explains in his books. It's true that blacks and Native Americans are the ones to have borne the full brunt of American atrocities, hypocrisy and oppression throughout its history. But many of us who have not experienced the same depth of suffering and marginalization but who are not rich, who have to struggle for every penny every day while we see our tax dollars benefitting only the richest, who believe in the same principles that Robinson does (justice, compassion, a deep hatred of the hypocritical chauvinism and ugly self-centeredness that is so prevalent in the US, esp. among the complacent and dominant white privileged upper and middle classes) yearn to live in a place where--as in St. Kitts--people care about each other, take care of each other, where arrogance and ignorance of the sentiments of other peoples is condemned, not celebrated. Robinson had the good fortune to have been able to move himself and his family to a better place, a place where people value each other. I know I am not the only one to have gone with him in spirit.

Praise to Randall's honesty and integrity!!!!!!!!!

I give only the greatest praise to Randall for his honesty and straight forwardness in this book. He not only gives examples of his own life experiences in America, but also exposes this country for what it isn't. America has never been, and never will be a democracy, free, just, or equal.From the time of the imperialist Columbus, to the warmonger Bush, America has seen Africans and all others of color as "invisible persons", not worthy of white peoples concern. Randall explains the annialation of native american civilization, genocide and enslavement of Africans, and contemporary indifference to anyone not of Euro-descent.He explains that peace of mind, cultural belonging, and his Africanness, are more important than possessions and property. I applaud Randall for his honesty, and uprightness. He'll never miss America, I wish I were him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!