It has been said that Americans will do anything for Latin America but read about it.The same might be said even more strongly of Americans and Africa.Individual dramatic events may capture the public imagination from time to time.Sometimes these events offer an image of hope, such as the release of Nelson Mandela and the fall of apartheid in South Africa.More often they present an image of horror and despair, such as the nearly continent-wide AIDS crisis, or the brutal civil war in Ruwanda that left scores dead and recent French intervention in the Ivory Coast.
Apart from these individual events, however, Americans generally have little consciousness of Africa.Even African-Americans often have little overall knowledge of their ancestors’ homeland.Most Americans conceptualize the continent of Africa as the country of Africa.Probably few Americans could find the Ivory Coast on a map. If they did, they would find that one of its neighbors is Liberia, and they might hazily recall having read that Liberia was founded in the 19th century by freed slaves from the United States.
In fact, Liberia was, perhaps unofficially, America’s first overseas colony, founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society, which ruled it until it gained Independence in 1847 – peacefully, but on the initiative of the Liberian settlers rather than by grant (Liebenow, 1987, pp. 16-17). Between 1822 and 1904, some 20,000 African-Americans emigrated to Liberia, most in the early decades, but some 4000 in the decades after the American Civil War.
Strong ties of identity and culture remained between the two countries even after immigration trailed off.For over a century up till 1980, Liberia was governed by the True Whig Party.Its named derived from the 19th century American political party.The True Whig Party was controlled and run by the freed American slaves who immigrated to Liberia.The Americo-Liberians, as the settlers’ descendants are called, continued to identify strongly with the United States – only to often discover, to their dismay and to the disadvantage of indigenous Liberians, that Americans were scarcely aware of them, or of Liberia itself.
The American colonial origin of Liberia also left its mark in the form of a social contradiction that dominated 20th-century Liberia, and still deeply marks Liberian society.
My book will be used by the Educational Systems (especially predominately black institutions) in the U.S.A, Liberia and the World to educate generations yet unborn about the U.S./Liberia relationship, How Liberia was founded and why.
The book will also educate the readers about the causes of the Civil Conflicts that have torn the country to pieces and destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives and properties.
Students of history in black institutions of the U.S. will dismiss the concept that the continent of Africa is a country and that there is no such thing as wild animals sharing the same homes with Africans.Americans will gain an awareness of Liberia.
This book could bring a more closer tide between the citizens of the U.S. and Liberia.Through this, the establishment of city to city and institutions to institutions partnerships could come about easily along with student exchange programming.
About the Author
The author, J. Mamadee Ghorpu-Dolo Woah- Tee, Sr., is the son of the late Clan Chief Daiwor Togbah Woah-Tee and Nangba Nanlon of Gbaomu, Jorpole Clan, Bong County, Liberia. J. Mamadee Woah-Tee, Sr. is an Educational Administrator.
J. Mamadee is married to Cecelia Lorpu Paye-Woah-Tee and they are blessed with five children (Daiwor Togbah Woah-Tee, II, (age 29), Josephine Ndeimei Woah-Tee, (27), Ghorpu, (22), Nyeinpu (17), J. Mamadee Ghorpu-Dolo Woah-Tee, Jr.(12), and a grandson, Daiwor Togbah Woah-Tee, III (7).
J. Mamadee, Sr. obtained his elementary and Junior High School education from the William V.S. Tubman Elementary and Junior High School, Gbarnga Methodist Mission in 1963. He matriculated to the Dolokelen Gboveh Jr. & Senior High School in 1964. He graduated from Gboveh in 1967. He entered the University of Liberia in 1968 and graduated in 1972 as an education major. J. Mamadee entered the school of Graduate Studies, MorganStateUniversity, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A in August of 1978 and in the summer of 1979, he completed the requirements of his Masters degree in Educational Administration and Supervision. In May of 1980, he was awarded the degree. Since the Government of Liberia gave him two years to do his Masters and he did it in one year, he decided to go for a second Masters but this time in the area of Elementary and Middle School Curriculum. He began this program of studies in August of 1979 and also completed its requirements in the summer of 1980. In May, 1981, he was awarded the degree. In August, 1991, J. Mamadee, Sr. earned his terminal degree, Doctor of Philosophy, in Education, Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.
