In immediately’s local weather of renewed Black consciousness and ancestral reclamation, the worldwide name for connection to Africa is rising louder. However amidst this rising tide, there may be one nation whose bond with African Individuals isn’t merely symbolic—it’s historic, non secular, and deeply rooted in shared wrestle. That nation is Liberia.
By Rufus S. Berry II, MBA, [email protected], Contributing Author
Based by free and previously enslaved Black women and men from america, Liberia isn’t just an African vacation spot—it’s a dwelling, respiration embodiment of Black America’s centuries-old craving for liberty, dignity, and self-determination. It’s the solely African nation created with the specific imaginative and prescient of being a homeland for many who had endured the horrors of slavery and systemic racism in America.
Now, greater than ever, Liberia should boldly and unapologetically reassert her rightful id because the true and solely sincere house of return for African Individuals.
A Highly effective Presidential Second
President Joseph N. Boakai Sr.’s latest go to to the White Home—significantly his non-public assembly and presentation with U.S. President Donald J. Trump—could show to be a pivotal second in resetting the narrative. It was greater than only a diplomatic trade. It was an opportunity to reignite consciousness among the many American public, particularly African Individuals, in regards to the sacred historic ties that bind Liberia and america.
This second should not be allowed to fade into the background. Liberia should seize this chance to reintroduce herself, not as a forgotten colony, however because the ancestral homeland that liberated Individuals helped construct—and may as soon as once more name house.
A Nation Born of Liberation
Liberia’s very basis is steeped within the liberated American expertise. The American Colonization Society facilitated the migration of freed African Individuals—a lot of whom had by no means identified Africa however longed for a land to reside freely and absolutely. In 1847, Liberia declared its independence, making it Africa’s first and oldest republic. And that independence was claimed not by European colonizers, however by African Individuals.
Our first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1809. Like a lot of Liberia’s early leaders, he was a liberated Black man in america who noticed in Liberia the promise of true freedom. All of Liberia’s presidents till 1883 have been African American males born within the U.S.—pioneers like Stephen Allen Benson of Maryland and Edward James Roye of Ohio. They introduced with them American values, customs, and democratic beliefs—however infused them with a distinctly African spirit.
One particularly exceptional determine is President Daniel Bashiel Warner, Liberia’s third president (1864–1868) and the creator of our nationwide anthem. Born on Hookstown Street in Baltimore County, Maryland, Warner stays the one Baltimore native ever to change into the president of one other nation. He now rests in an enclosed plot between Camp Johnson Street and Warren Avenue in Monrovia—his ultimate resting place a quiet image of this transatlantic story.
Liberia’s Capital Named After a U.S. President
Liberia’s capital metropolis, Monrovia, was named in honor of U.S. President James Monroe—underscoring the profound political and historic relationship between the 2 nations. This isn’t merely a footnote in historical past; it’s a dwelling narrative that also shapes our nationwide id.
Ties of Blood, Tradition, and Contribution
Liberia’s story is full of African Individuals heroes whose legacies span oceans.
Throughout a latest interview with a African American radio station (Port of Harlem) in New York, I shared a few of this forgotten historical past with the listeners—a lot of whom have been listening to it for the primary time. I spoke of Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, a pioneer in Alzheimer’s analysis and the primary African American psychiatrist in america. He was born in Monrovia, Liberia—the grandson of a previously enslaved African American man who had bought his freedom and returned to Liberia with hope in his coronary heart.
I additionally highlighted Martin Henry Freeman, a trailblazing educator who grew to become the primary African American to function president of an American college—Allegheny Institute (later Avery School)—earlier than emigrating to Liberia, the place he continued shaping younger minds, as President of the College of Liberia..
These aren’t remoted tales. They’re threads in a bigger tapestry—one which affirms, repeatedly, that Liberia is Black America, and Black America is Liberia.
The Flags of Each Nations
In a strong and intentional act of symbolism, Liberia’s founders designed the nationwide flag to carefully mirror that of america, reflecting the nation’s deep historic ties to Black America. Whereas the American flag options fifty stars, Liberia’s flag bears a single white star—representing its standing as the primary impartial Black republic in Africa. This design alternative was no coincidence; it was meant to endlessly honor the shared historical past, beliefs, and ancestral bonds that join the 2 nations throughout the Atlantic.
Liberia: The Solely True and Sincere House of Return
Immediately, many African nations invite the diaspora to “come house.” However solely Liberia is house. Solely Liberia was based by and for African Individuals. Solely Liberia carries this sacred and shared legacy in her very soil, in her governance, in her tradition, and in her soul.
Let nobody hijack or dilute this fact. Let no advertising marketing campaign or passport program elsewhere overshadow what Liberia uniquely represents. This isn’t a contest; it’s a name to historic honesty and cultural readability.
Because the world reexamines its previous and reimagines its future, Liberia should rise once more—not simply as a logo, however as a dwelling bridge. We should inform our story with readability, confidence, and delight. We should reconnect with our brothers and sisters in America—not merely to ask them to go to, however to embrace them as household returning house.
Liberia was, is, and can all the time be the true and rightful homeland for the return of African Individuals.
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Rufus S. Berry II, MBA, is a Liberian and former president of the Liberia Group of Northern California. He’s a monetary professional, the creator of the e-book Liberia’s Promise, and a passionate neighborhood growth advocate. He writes extensively on Liberian historical past, governance, and the African diaspora.
