A Guide to Customary Marriage

Our culture and tradition are fading away with great speed. As one of our culture's components and ingredients, the original procedure for customary marriage is seriously on the verge of collapse. The practice of our traditional marriage procedures is diminishing by you and me mainly because of the introduction of western ideologies, and also by self-denial, our idleness, negligence, copy and paste ideology, abandonment of our vernacular, unwillingness to learn and teach others, and many more vices. We have smothered important traditions for so long and in many diverse ways. If it continues, our children and future generations will create a new chapter of culture because the original prescribed ones will no longer be available for them to use.

Keeping our culture isn't limited to the Jorquelleh Kpelle tribe but the rest of the 16 tribes in Liberia. This book is a start. A Guide to Customary Marriage Among the Jorquelleh Kpelle People will be necessary for generations to come.

Davidson Sumo was born in 1972 in Liberia, West Africa, of the Kpelle ethnic group, the largest tribe in Liberia. Unfortunately, not just limited to the Jorquelleh Kpelle people, but most Liberian and African culture and traditions are fading away. As a social scientist, Sumo's interest in preserving the Kpelle tradition's practices, especially of customary marriage, a significant component of the tradition, is on the verge of collapse. Nevertheless, Liberians, and Africans, should not neglect their way of life. This is the primary reason for writing his first book, A Guide to Customary Marriage Among the Jorquelleh Kpelle People. Because of the decline in the oral nature of the Kpelle heritage, he believes written accounts are better than oral accounts. Therefore, Sumo aims to dig up hidden causes of the wrong applications of the Kpelle tradition, relative to customary marriage procedures, with the anticipation to envoke a vigorous comeback and remain on track of traditional marriage procedures and teach future generations to maintain the tradition.After working for thirteen years as a social worker, Davidson enrolled at Cuttington University in mid-2013. A self-sponsored student throughout his academic sojourn, he studied Public Administration, emphasizing Peace & Development Studies. He completed his studies on August 4, 2017, with honors, as magna cum laude, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration.Sumo loves extensive reading and writing based on his philosophy that reading makes a person wiser.He is married to Nancy G. Sumo, and they are blessed with four children; Priscillia, Jonah, Susan, and Amanda. Davidson Sumo lives with his family in Liberia.