The land where my mother climbed almond trees, sitting all morning filling herself up with the savory taste of almonds, the place where my father played football with friends on the dirt roads of Monrovia.
run-on
It was the middle of December, although chilly when I first got on the plane by my Virginian home
run-on. semi-colons should be used for independent clauses.
I remember in the 9th grade I learned about the history of how Liberia came to be.
passive voice, but also the tense changed -remember
The civil war brought on many changes not only in America but also in Africa.
rephrase.
The preservation of the Union brought on the emancipation of the slaves. Most of the freed slaves stayed, but some had had enough of the mistreatment and were set on returning to their homeland; Africa.
more history. again, the semi-colon issue.
This is why the republic the African Americans created was called Liberia; Liberia for liberty.
semi-colon issue again. maybe use a dash sometimes.
I also knew that the people who first settled were not only African-Americans, there were other indigenous people already living on the land. This group of Africans was where my father was from.
Ok..so this is the second paragraph. page 87 OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY...talking about your family history there is odd. Maybe mention that you these thoughts came back to you. that seeing the land in front of you reminded you of things...but make sure it flows. try not to just talk history. make yourself part of this. it's an essay about you
Ask yourself why you write this. Then edit and add more.
After finishing one semester of college my parents believed it was time for me to visit.
sounds like you're still dependent on your parents a lot even after going to college. maybe say they agreed that I could go visit.
I was coming visit my mothers' younger sister in Monrovia.
coming sounds present tense. so tense change again. going to* visit
I stepped out squinting in the sunlight and began the journey of embracing my African heritage.
not to sound offensive, but this sounds like you're "going native." Because you talk so much about your family already, maybe edit this to show more emphasis on what was happening...in a more past tense manner. Your journey started when you left Holland, is it? So maybe say, began the next step in embracing...
Good luck!