From Monrovia to Minneapolis

Fascinating piece in yesterday's Washington Post Magazine about the upcoming Liberian presidential election. The article tracks the political campaign of Charles Walker Brumskine, one of the most prominent candidates, as he takes to the hustings in both the U.S. and Liberia. Here's the nut:

This is the nature of today's Liberia. Started as a colony for free blacks from the United States in the early 1800s, the small country on the west coast of Africa is unique in its mix of descendants of American pioneers and African tribesmen. But after 200 years and a long civil war, the black Promised Land has turned black cloud. Today, the voters are in bombed-out Monrovia, Gbarnga and Ganta, but much of the country's money and influence has found asylum in places such as Minneapolis, Providence and Ellicott City.

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