Saro Community in the Niger Delta, 1912-1984

By examining the history of the Potts-Johnsons, an immigrant Saro family from Sierra Leone living in the Port Harcourt region of Nigeria from roughly 1912-1984, this study reviews the migration history of the Saro in the Niger River delta. The work also touches on many important issues to consider when researching African history: intra-African migration, status of and dominance by elites (both indigenous and immigrant), women's roles in social relationships, and the preservation of family and cultural values under extreme socio-economic stress. Mac Dixon-Fyle is associate professor of History at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.