PHOTO: The Author
By Rev. Joseph Cephas Z. K. Davis, Son of Grand Bassa County
As part of my academic requirements, my PhD studies oblige me to examine the Government of Liberia’s efforts and plans to restore national reconciliation, integration, and unity among its people. This is a constitutional mandate, not voluntary. Chapter II, Article 5(a) demands that the Republic, led by the Government, shall aim at strengthening national integration and unity regardless of ethnic, regional, and other differences.
Historical fact remains that there was disunity among indigenous groups before the second group of our ancestors arrived from the Americas beginning in 1822. Liberian historian Patrick Borrow noted that “According to Gola traditional history, Chief Zolu Duma once enticed an age-set of girls onto a slave ship to dance for the crew, having pre-sold the entire shipload of adolescents to the captain.” Thus, the Wild Wind Coast, today’s Liberia, had tribal slave hunters who kidnapped members of other tribal groups to sell to slave ship captains. On the other hand, the disunity continued after the arrival of our ancestors from the Americas.
According to historians, the repatriates (our ancestors who came from the Americas or America-Liberia) saw themselves as the path to redemption for the natives, seeking to Christianize them. They compared their accounts of attacks by the natives to biblical stories of the children of Israel and to the Puritans’ journey from Europe to America. The repatriates created an elitist society for themselves and looked down on the natives (those they met in Liberia).
The sense of elitism among the Americo-Liberians, who were a minority in Liberia, persisted, with all government offices held by them and the presidents of the republic from its independence until 1980, when a native indigenous Samuel K. Doe executed then-President William R. Tolbert in a military coup and took power. This event ended with indigenous Liberians celebrating in the streets of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. After Doe took power in Liberia, his loyalty was not to the indigenous majority but to his ethnic group, the Krahn. He persecuted another ethnic group in Liberia (the Dan & Mano). Thus, this history is worth reflection and even being taught to the younger generation and our school system because, for Liberia to move into a nation of hope, peace, unity, and a beacon of hope, we must reflect on the past before moving into our future.
We cannot move toward a better future with disunity and a lack of patriotism for Mama Liberia. I know you may be wondering why I mentioned a lack of patriotism; I did so because, largely due to our history, we continue to place individual loyalty above loyalty to Liberia. If we cannot love Liberia more than our partisan politics and political leaders, we will leave an uninherited nation to the next generations of young Liberians. Thus, we must make Liberia first as some of our Leaders did.
Imagine if President William V. S. Tubman had not signed the LAMCO contract, with Liberia owning more shares than the investors; had established the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law and the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine to train lawyers and doctors; had established the Liberia Maritime; had created new counties (Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh) and given power to indigenous Liberians; had implemented the Open Door Policy; and had constructed the home of the three branches of government, to name a few. These historical facts show that President Tubman was thinking about our generation and put Liberia first, despite some of his shortcomings as a leader.
As we celebrate the 179th year of independence on July 26, 2026, let’s choose unity over division, as is the case in our current political climate. Let us choose Liberia over our political leaders and political parties. Choosing Liberia means exposing drug dealers and all those connected to the current drug saga in Liberia. It means saying no to giving representatives and senators more than 2 million annually for gas and more than 4 million every three years for cars, and investing that money in our healthcare and schools.
Choosing Liberia means signing concession agreements like Tubman, where Liberia owns the majority of the profit, or mining and selling our own gold and diamonds, not non-Liberians. Imagine Bee Mountain Mining Corporation in Grand Cape Mount County mining our gold, with our government’s share at about 3%. In 2025, Bee Mountain’s gold revenue was estimated at $1.65 billion USD, though some statistics put its gross value for 2025 at $2.3 billion USD. At $1.6 billion, Liberia received $48.6 million. Now ask yourself: is this stupidity, or do we have Leaders who don’t put Liberia first? This is just one example showing that our leaders are not putting Liberia first. Notwithstanding, it’s time we rise above self-aggrandizement and put Liberia first by calling for unity, reconciliation, justice, and Liberia’s interest, so we can mine our own gold and diamonds, invest in human resources, and build a better Liberia for the next decade and generation. I do know we are resilient people, and we can build a better Liberia by putting Liberia first, not our political leaders and political parties.
As a son of the Bassa tribe, I pledge my continued commitment to promoting peace, national unity, reconciliation, cultural preservation, servant leadership, and sustainable development. I believe our differences should never divide us but instead enrich Liberia’s beautiful mosaic.
May the God who has preserved Liberia through every season continue to guide her toward a future of peace, prosperity, justice, and lasting unity.
May every child find hope, every family know peace, and every community flourish.
May every tribe walk together in mutual respect. May Liberia rise to become the nation her founders dreamed she could be—a beacon of freedom, dignity, justice, and opportunity for all. May I end with these words from former president Edwin Barclay: “Desert it? No! Never! Uphold it? Forever! O shout for the Lone Star, the bright star of liberty! My fellow Liberians, do not desert Liberia but uphold her forever.” As I noted in one Facebook post, no tribe is greater than another. No county is more Liberian than another. No language is more valuable than another. We are one people with one destiny. HAPPY 179TH INDEPENDENCE!
Rev. Joseph Cephas Z. K. Davis, A United Methodist Clergy in the United States, an advocate, dispute resolution practitioner, Public Policy Scholar, and a PhD student in Intercultural Studies at Biola University.