The Cage I Built

by Macdonald Metzger

Overview

Research on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has given little attention to the study of IPV or domestic abuse among African immigrants in the U.S. The Cage I Built provides an insider's perspective on the problem of intimate partner abuse or domestic abuse within African immigrant communities in the United States. In this book, Dr. Metzger shared his experiences of abuse as a child, and as an adult. He looked at the experiences of new immigrants who often experience higher levels of abuse and exploitation by their partners. He became particularly interested in writing on this topic because of his personal experiences with IPV. These experiences date as far back as his childhood in Liberia, West Africa. This book is dedicated to all immigrant women who are survivors of IPV.

Who is this book for?
This book is relevant for:
• African immigrant women who are living with an abusive partner and want to learn about resources and supports that are available to them.
• African immigrant youth and adults who are perpetrators of IPV and want to change their behaviors and attitudes.
• Anyone who wants to learn about IPV in African immigrant communities.
• Professionals who work in the human and social services field in African immigrant communities.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162509875
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	03/21/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	493 KB

About the Author

Macdonald M. Metzger, M.S., DPA. is a Liberian immigrant who lives in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Mac, as he is affectionately called, hails from Damballah, a small town in western Liberia. His parents hailed from West African neighbors, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and he grew up in both cultures and speaks the languages of both countries.
Growing up, when Mac was not visiting his late uncle, Supreme Court Judge William B. Metzger in the courtrooms, he was home typing up court documents for his late father, James D. Metzger, a court magistrate. His mother Maima Kamara Metzger is a retired businesswoman.
Mac began his career in West Africa as a broadcast journalist. His early radio career kicked off in Sierra Leone with the Voice of Children radio project, a program run by the Public Information Office of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. He went on to work in Liberia for the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia radio. After he immigrated to the US in 2010, Mac branched off from journalism into Human and Social Services work. He worked with older adults and people with disabilities in-home and community-based settings. He has worked as a direct support professional, frontline supervisor, and manager. He now directs community outreach activities at the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.
Mac enjoys writing, reading, poetry, and creative arts. When he is not traveling for work, he is often home cooking, painting, and making YouTube videos of his wife and three daughters.
This book is Mac’s first attempt at raising awareness of IPV within the African immigrant community. As a child, he lived through abuse. He and his elder sister were often caught up in the middle of the physical violence against his mom. Mac has a lived experience as an IPV perpetrator. Mac has written this book to highlight the plight of IPV within African immigrant communities in the US. He hopes that other African immigrants, especially young boys, and men can use the experiences shared in this book, and the knowledge gained from reading it to put an end to IPV within their communities.