In an inspiring memoir, a glimpse into the past, author Charles Sampson takes his readers into a look into his family history with a snapshot of Africa’s history.
When it comes to Africa trips and a touch of African history, author Charles Sampson captured the spot on the look and feel of this magnificent continent in his memoir, Sparrows of Senegambia. This book about the countries of Senegal and the Gambia depicts the historical background of Senegambia, officially known as the Senegambia Confederation, a loose confederation in the late 20th century between the West African countries of Senegal and the Gambia. The book is a stirring memoir of the author’s travel to his birthplace, a place that connects with his life, work, and education, and his travels to other African countries and South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
All About the Author
Charles Sampson, Ph.D., is an emeritus professor of public affairs and black studies at the University of Missouri. He is a founding member of the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs and the University of Missouri Department of Black Studies. As part of his Ph.D., Sampson chose urban and regional planning to focus his studies when he was awarded the degree in Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh in 1974.
Charles Sampson was initially an associate dean of the Graduate School in 1988 before becoming a full-time dean from 1996 to 2000 when he joined the University of Missouri. In 2012, Dr. Sampson was selected as the recipient of a Fulbright award by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to facilitate his appointment as visiting professor at the Khan Kaen University, Thailand.
Dr. Sampson was also a visiting professor at the School of Government, the University of Western Cape in South Africa. Other lists of his professional involvement include past membership on the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) national council, editorial boards of American Review of Public Administration, Public Administration Review, and Journal of Social Policy and Public Management.
His research and public policy have been published in several scholarly journals. His research agenda focuses on the voting rights policy in the USA and other minority-governed municipalities. Some of his post-retirement publications include Vanishing Beacons: Black Mayors and the Challenge of Governance in Urban Regimes and Voting Rights Policy and his memoir, Sparrows of Senegambia.
Dr. Sampson also served under the committee on fiscal affairs for the MU Faculty Council and the MU representative to the CIMPAD or the Consortium of International Management Policy and Development, a group of non-governmental organizations and higher education institutions devoted to sustainable governance among rising democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Author and the Book
Sparrows of Senegambia is Dr. Charles Sampson’s memoir that reconnects him to his birthplace. It also describes the author’s travel to dozens of African countries, including places in South America, states in Southern and Midwestern United States, and places in Southeast Asia. Dr. Sampson’s memoir tells a story shaped by the family history of six generations of American experiences. He carefully did extensive research on his family background using oral testimonies and census documents and added his own life and work experiences.
The book covers the story of the descendants of Abe and Carolyn Sampson and their trials and triumphs as an American family. Most of the author’s understanding of his family history came from participation and observations during family gatherings of 3rd and 4th generation members in 115 Melon Street in Laurel, Mississippi, during his childhood.
Stored in “childhood tapes,” these memories were valuable tools that allowed the author to easily “travel back in time.” Dr. Sampson’s travel to West African slave port Gorée opened his eyes to the importance of Senegambia. For the author, his American life can be compared to the sparrows, birds that symbolize power, hard work, diligence, productivity, and persistence. Like the sparrows, life is to be taken as a challenge to overcome adversity through perseverance and persistence.
Dr. Sampson’s book about the countries of Senegal and the Gambia is a touching reference to the author’s sentiment towards Africa and his birthplace.
Grab a copy of Sparrows of Senegambia over on Amazon, or visit the author’s website at www.charlessampsonbooks.com.
