Whereas, In observance of the 157th Juneteenth commemoration in Springfield, Massachusetts on June 18, 2022, a Federal Holiday which celebrates the freedom of enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, the USA in 1865, And,
Whereas, the Universal Human Rights International (UHRI) honors the living legacy of Massachusetts State Representative Ben Swan (Retired), and President of UHRI, an organization founded by refugees that assists refugees and asylum seekers from 40 different countries in the USA, and promotes the Golden Rule; “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” And
Whereas, Hon. Swan spent significant time working tirelessly with members of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Caucus, the Massachusetts Delegation to Congress, and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators to ensure fairness in the treatment of Liberian refugee families unjustifiably denied access to humanitarian assistance and permits to work for many decades since the Liberian Civil War that started on December 24, 1989, And,
Whereas, because of his advocacy, the US Congress voted to pass the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, which was signed into law by President Trump as part of the defense authorization bill, And
Whereas, the “Liberian Fairness Act” did not follow presidents of previous reprieve legislations that granted benefits to all nationals who were physically president on American Soil, on the date the bill was signed into law. Instead, the “Liberian Fairness Act” unfairly excluded many Liberian refugee families who have lived in the United States for many years without access to humanitarian assistance and without permits to work. And
Whereas, historically, American immigration policies have not favored Black and Brown immigrants and asylum seekers or indigenous people of color with contributions and ties to America that predate the American Revolution and the American Declaration of Independence. And
Whereas racial discrimination against people of color threatens the very existence of the United States of America, as evidenced by our national slogan; “United we stand. Divided we fall.”And,
Whereas, On July 4, 1776, the American Declaration of Independence proclaimed to the world; “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…” And,
Whereas, On March 26, 1790, the US Congress, dominated by white supremacists and slaveholders voted to pass a new law; restricting citizenship in the USA to “…only white persons…” And,
Whereas, Although Blacks and whites fought in the American Revolutionary war this new law welcomed only Europeans as citizens and excluded all people of color, thus laying the foundation that embedded officially sanctioned racism that continues to plague the existence of this great nation. And
Whereas, The racist law of 1790 unleashed ongoing harm against African Americans, and people of color, yet to be mitigated. And,
Whereas, American Colonization banished and colonized free African Americans in Liberia and the Indian Removal Act that banished Native Americans to Indian Reservations were acts of Congress that began as a movement for ethnic cleansing of the United States. And,
Whereas, The American Colonization Society, a voluntary association whose membership and officers were mainly high-ranking US Government officials who were also slaveholders and white supremacists, including Chief Justice, John Marshall, President and slaveholder, James Monroe, President and slaveholder, Thomas Jefferson, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, Bushrod Washington, Speaker of Congress, and slaveholder, Henry Clay, Francis Key Scott, Slaveholder and white supremacist, Andrew Jackson and President and slaveholder James Madison, among many other slaveholders who didn’t free their slaves, acting in self-interest, and without any African Americans in the leadership of colonization caused the deaths of many African Americans colonized in Liberia. And
Whereas, Although a total of 4,571 emigrants arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, by the year 1843 only 1,819 emigrants were still living in the colony. The rest died of tropical diseases. Even so, the American Colonization leadership was still encouraging free Blacks to go to Liberia, where they would be free. And
Whereas Liberia is a creation of the US Congress, and in collaboration with white supremacists, high-ranking US Government officials from all three branches of government used American taxes and the force of the US Navy 44 years before the Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves in the USA. And,
Whereas, in the first 22 years of Liberia, the colony was led by whites and the board of directors was the high-ranking US Government officials and slaveholders in Washington, D.C. whose desire was expressed in the 2nd annual report of the American Colonization Society funded by the US Congress: “...the colonization of the free people of color, will render the slave who remains in America more obedient, more faithful, more honest, and, consequently, more useful to his master, is it proper to regard this happy consequence to both, as the sole object which the Society (ACS) hope to attain…” And,
Whereas, According to the Speaker of the House at Congress, Hon. Henry Clay, the purpose of American colonization was; “… to get rid of a useless and pernicious, if not dangerous, portion of our population.” And,
Whereas, For two hundred years, the Government of the United States of America has not taught the true history of American Colonization and the ongoing harm against generations of descendants of Americans colonized in Liberia. And,
Whereas, as Evidenced by the text of the act of the US Congress on March 3, 1819, which appropriated $100,000.00 tax dollars used to pay for colonization, and authorized the force of the US Navy to create “logistics for a colony in Africa,” And,
Whereas, The Opinion of the Attorney General #229, dated October 16, 1819, relative to the March 3, 1819 Act of Congress, stated; “None of the US$100,000.00 could be used to; recruit and transport free men of color of the USA to West Africa, purchase land in West Africa for a settlement or purchase tools for building barracks in West Africa.” And,
Whereas, American Colonization was a project of the United States, funded by tax dollars and implemented by paid government officials, including the first lieutenant of the US Marine Corps, Samuel Bacon was the first US Government Agent sent to find a suitable site for the colony in Africa. The expedition was escorted by a gunboat, USS Cyane. The first lieutenant, of the US Navy, Matthew C. Perry, selected the site at Cape Mersurado. And
Whereas, It wasn’t “freed American slaves” but two white men, US Navy Captain Robert Stockton and Dr. Elias Ayers, on December 15, 1821, signed the original deed for the purchase of the land for settlement of “…certain persons citizens of the United States are desirous to settle on the coast of western Africa…” And,
Whereas, the United States founded the colony of Liberia for dual purposes; removal and banishment of free African Americans and a Navy Base where captured African slaves would be dropped off. And,
Whereas, the 1824 Constitution of Liberians written by the leaders of American Colonization who were high-ranking officials of the US Government and also slaveholders was crystal clear about the citizenship of free African Americans banished and colonized in Liberia: Article 1 of the American Colonization’s 1824 Constitution of Liberia: “ All persons born within the limits of the territory held by the American Colonization Society, in Liberia, in Africa, or removing there to reside, shall be free, and entitled to all such rights and privileges,as are enjoyed by the citizens of the United States.” And,
Whereas, The flag is red, white ad blue with one star. The US Dollar is legal tender. Ten presidents of Liberia were African Americans born in the USA. And,
Whereas, In the past thirty years, a standardless discriminatory policy denied many Liberian Refugees access to humanitarian assistance while granting other Liberians work permits through Temporary Protected Status (TPS). At the same time, Congress passed a law in 1992 that allowed 52,968 Chinese nationals granted DED after the Tiananmen Square incident to adjust to permanent residency status. The Chinese were not alone. Congress also passed legislation that allowed 150,000 Nicaraguans, 5,000 Cubans, 200,000 El Salvadorans, and 50,000 Guatemalans to adjust to permanent residency status. And,
Whereas, after decades of advocacy led by Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, Congress passed the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act in December 2019, nearly 30 years after the Liberian Refugees arrived in America. President Biden in January 2021 also signed an Executive Order renewing DED work permits for Liberians with DED work permits. Unfortunately, thousands of Liberians were excluded from both reprieves signed by Presidents Trump and Biden. And,
Whereas, Hon. Ben Swan visited Liberia three times and slept in Liberian homes in cities, towns, and villages. Traveled on the dusty and impassible roads of Liberia. Rep Swan met with Liberian political leaders, including the Speaker of the House, Tyler, President of the Liberian Senate Wortorson, and American missionaries working in Liberia. Rep Swan also visited the US EMbassy and saw firsthand how Liberian visa applicants are treated at the US Embassy.
The Free Liberia Movement Launches the Hon. Ben Swan Petition to heal and unite the racially divided “United “ States of America by bringing Native Americans and Descendants of free African Americans who were disenfranchised, banished, and colonized because of the color of their skin back in the fold. Massachusetts State Representative Ben Swan (Retired) will be asked to be the first to sign the Ben Swan Petition To Heal & Unite the divided “United” States of America.
Now, therefore, we call on all Americans to join us in signing the Rep Ben Swan Petition seeking healing and uniting the divided “United” States of America beginning with the following Golden Rule Requests:
- All municipalities in the Commonwealth and the Massachusetts State Legislature regulate all nonprofits by requiring a diversity of people with lived experience to serve on the board and senior management of all tax-exempted nonprofits. The American Colonization that caused the deaths of thousands of free African Americans and indigenous Africans in Liberia was not representative of the people they served. Two hundred years later American missionary agencies serving in Liberia and American refugee resettlement agencies exclude qualified people of color from their boards and senior management because of no regulation.
- Over 6,000 Liberian refugee families living in the USA for years have been excluded from the benefits of the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act signed by President Trump and President Biden’s Executive Order granting work permits to similarly situated Liberian refugee families. It makes no sense that after decades of unfairness, the Liberian Refugee Fairness Act remains unfair, putting the lives of Liberian refugees at risk in a pandemic. Ukrainian refugees who have not arrived in the USA since the Russian invasion two months ago already have work permits approved by President Biden’s Executive orders and tens of billions of dollars of humanitarian and military aid. “Charity begins at home.” We call for immediate Executive Order granting work permits to all Liberian refugees excluded from President Biden’s DED work permit Executive Order. We call on Congress to fix the Liberian Refugee Fairness Act and follow the precedent of reprieves granted to other nationals physically present on American Soil on the date the law takes effect.
- American slavery, American Colonization, and American officially sanctioned racism that targeted Native Americans, African Slaves, and free African Americans unleashed ongoing harm against descendants of Americans and continue to ravage the lives of human beings in impoverished Indian Reservations, including Pine Ridge South Dakota, Poor African American communities across the United States, poverty-stricken West Point, Monrovia, and other poor communities across Liberia. The foundation of this great country embedded with officially sanctioned racism is at the root of all of America’s social problems, from drug addiction to mass shootings, crimes, and the huge defense budget of over $800 billion dollars that doesn’t even protect our children in elementary schools. America needs healing and unity but the healing and unity begin with mitigation of ongoing harm to Native Americans, African Americans,s and Liberia, a colony created by the United States to deprive Americans of their rights and oppress indigenous Africans for the past two centuries.
- Citizens from forty (40) countries enter the USA without a visa under the American Visa Waiver Program. Citizens from 57 countries enter the US yearly to work temporarily. Citizens from five territories controlled by the United States have access to education, employment, and business opportunities in the USA without visa restrictions. But Liberians, a colony created to implement the American Apartheid law of March 26, 1790, and ethnic cleansing by the US Government and high-ranking US officials who were slaveholders from all three branches of government continue to be restricted from coming to a country built by the blood and sweat of their ancestors. The slaveholders and white supremacists who colonized and banished Americans are dead and gone but the racist system they put in place at Congress makes it impossible to restore the rights of descendants of Americans banished from the United States. It’s easy for Congress to pass a measure granting $40 billion dollars to Ukraine in response to a request for $30 billion dollars but Congress has proven incapable of mitigating the harm against Native Americans in Indian Reservations across America. Congress has proven unable to mitigate the harm against descendants of African Americans and indigenous Africans who continue to suffer because of American Colonization and the atrocities and brutalities of American Colonization. We call on Americans to sign this Hon. Ben Swan Petition to heal and unite the divided “United “ States beginning with undoing the ongoing harm in Indian Reservations, African American Communities of color and restoring citizenship rights of Liberians of American descent as well as opening the doors of opportunities for all Liberians to access education, employment and business opportunities in America without visa restrictions. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.