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Eric Key
Eric Key is Executive Director of The Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM). He received his Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies from Hanpton University, Hampton, VA. In his 22 year career he has held such positions as: Special Collections Library/University Archivist at Prairie View A&M University; Curator/Assistant Director at African American Museum, Dallas, TX; Assistant Curator of African American History for Dallas County Heritage Society, Dallas, TX. He has curated many exhibits, including "I REMEMBER: Thirty Years After the March on Washington: Images of the Civil Rights Movement 1963-1993" for the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Mr. Key is a member of several professional organizations such as Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, African American Museum Association and American Museum Association. You can contact Mr. Key at TKAAM, 316-262-7651; or by e-mail at: ekeyman@aol.com.
Cultural
2002-08-01 11:40:00
Why is Liberia of more interest than others?
Eric Key Question:  Why is Liberia of more interest to African Americans than any other African country?Answer:  Liberia has a long history with Africans in American and African Americans.  In order to understand why African Americans are interested in Liberia until this day, one must understand the past or its creative beginnings. Let's begin in the late 1700s when the notion of colonization of slaves or repatriation to slaves was in the incubation stage.During this period, the founding of Liberia was inspired by many prominent white Americans who were concerned with slavery, the slave trade and the untenable position of "free persons of color" in the United States following the creation of the Federal Republic in 1787. In short, they were more concerned with ridding cities both north and south of a class of people that had only a vague legal status and was regarded as a constant source of social friction. The latter was most felt among the southern planters who supported the elimination of a class whose very existence constituted an economic and political threat to the institution of slavery. Amongst the  prominent  names  during  the  discussions  were  Thomas Jefferson, Governor James Monroe of Virginia who later became the President of United States, Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington, and James Forten as well as many free blacks and private citizens such as Francis Scott Key, John Randolph of Roanoke and John Taylor. These supporters advocated various plans to establish "black states" or territories in Louisiana, along the Missouri River, in the Pacific Northwest, or at other places in the United States.   Finally, the leaders of the colonization movement realized that the only feasible solution was to establish a colony on the West Coast of Africa to serve as a refuge for freed African Americans who wanted repatriation to the land of their ancestors.  Since the importation of slaves became illegal in the United States in 1808, this solution would also answer the question of what to do with the thousands of slave refugees taken from the slave ships by the United States navy. Thus, the American Colonization Society was formed in 1816 to spearhead the adventure.Under President Monroe's administration, The Society's agent was placed in West Africa to suppress the slave trade and to assist in the resettlement of rescued Africans.   The Society's greater accomplishments came when the United States Congress appropriated $100,000 to resettle recaptured slaves in Africa. This was the formation of Liberia and its capital - Monrovia - was named in honor of President Monroe.Originated as a refuge for freed slaves from the United States in 1822, the Commonwealth of Liberia is fronted by the Atlantic Ocean. Historically, on the landside, Liberia is hemmed by the British colony Sierra Leone, French Guinea, and France's Ivory Coast.  It is consider a tropical area with a dry season from November to about April.  It had its picture-book jungles, hammock trails, stick bridges, and cone-roofed huts built of mud and thatch. Most of the country is rolling and heavily forested.  Liberia has had a rich and long history of opening herself to African Americans. In 1829, a wealthy merchant and a free man from Petersburg, Virginia by the name of Joseph Jenkin Roberts migrated to Liberia. He became the first president of the independent Liberia in 1848 and served again from 1872-1876.  During his first administration beginning in 1949, he appealed to the United States government and publicly to its people for aid to purchase the territory of Gullinas.  He argued that this would enable Liberia to control the West African coast from Sierra Leone to Cape Palmas.  In 1834, Cape Palmas was settled by the Maryland Colonization Society and, later, joined the republic in 1854. As a condition, he promised to eradicate the slave trade in the territories under Liberia's republic.  Naturally, this was appealing to the United States government who had made the importation of slaves illegal.However, this noble and courageous gesture by President Roberts was not the sentiment of all native Africans. In a settlement in the Grand Bassua area of Liberia called "Fishtown" located south of Monrovia near the St. John's River, one of the bloodiest revolts in Liberian history occurred. During the revolt, native Africans who did not want the disruption of the local slave trade massacred unarmed African Americans. Yes, native Africans were involved in the slave trade! Afterward, militiamen from Monrovia attacked the area African villages; a treaty was formed with the African King Joe Harris; King Harris agreed to submit future disputes to the authorities in Monrovia; and he had to pay for property destroyed in the massacre.In this settlement, the colonist aligned itself with the United States.  The people spoke English and retained American manners, dress, and housing styles. Liberia used dollars and cents as its currency. Since such time, African Americans have made Liberia their home.  Robert E. Lee (Civil War General) paid the expenses for those of his former slaves, who wanted, to relocate to Liberia. William and Rosabella Burke and their four children who were General Lee's slaves left Baltimore on the Banshee ship with 261 emigrants.  Between 1848 and 1866, the records of the American Colonization Society document approximately 13,000 African Americans who had immigrated to Liberia. In 1880, another 150 African Americans left Arkansas for Liberia.  In the 1920's, Marcus Garvey advocated the "back to Africa movement".  African Americans were so interested in migrating to Liberia that they were submitting applications, letters of recommendation, sending family photos, and letters of character to the American Colonization Society.  This interest sparked Liberia to begin screening its applicants to find persons who could help the country develop.  Now, Liberian leaders were looking for the educated, well-character person who was willing to work with others.  Teachers, doctors, and businesspersons were the most sorted.In 1847, Liberia under the leadership of African Americans resettled in Liberia won its independence and became the Republic of Liberia. Gwendolen M. Carter wrote in "Liberia; The Evolution of Privilege" that "no country in African has a stronger claim on American interest than Liberia. Its long-entrenched ruling group "the Americo-Liberians" came from the United States or from ships forced by the United States navy to release their slaves." She goes on to states that "at a time when black separatism in the United States is becoming more pronounced, the progress in Africa of a black-governed state...has particular importance."'Because Liberia was conceived to accommodate former slaves from the United States and from slave ships... because Liberia was governed by blacks...  because Liberia welcomed its sisters and brothers from the holocaust of slavery... because its development depended on the actions of its black leaders... because it had become a world power... because it worked closely with the United States and in many cases mirrored the United States... because Liberia was committed to is people, education, and religion... and because of its mere survival as an independent state, African Americans are interested in Liberia. Liberia has become a source of inspiration of what can be done when African Americans work together for a common good.
 
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