By Rev. Torli Krua
How would you feel if a stranger removes you and your family from the land of your nativity and banish you to a place you have never seen before?
That is story of the Indian Removal Act and the American Colonization Society & Liberia.
The Story Is On A Mobile Exhibit at your school, church, library and work place-
Features
- Interview with African Americans who left the USA before 1960 for Liberia
- Artifacts, children books, music from Liberia & Liberians in Boston
- Interview with descendants of slaves who came to America after importation of African Slaves was banned by Congress
- Interview with Liberian refugee Mothers denied Permits to work after they were airlifted by US Marines from Monrovia to Boston
- List of immigrants on the first ship Elizabeth that sailed back to Africa
- Appeal to Congress to waive the fees in thousands of dollars imposed on Liberian Refugees denied work permits for decades
- Dear Friend,
- Greetings from Torli Krua, the Liberian. Did you know that for the past decades while welcoming refugees from many countries, Liberian Refugees across the USA have been denied access not only to humanitarian assistance but also denied permits to work and support their families? Did you know the ancestors of Liberia contributed to America long before the American Revolution and the adoption of the US Constitution?
- Even with our contributions, our ancestors who were free citizens born in America were removed, deported and colonized in West Africa because of the color of their skins. AT the same time, Europeans were welcomed to settled in the “Land of opportunities” built by the sweat, tears and blood of our ancestors. Ten Presidents of Liberia were Americans born and educated in the United States. The US Dollar is legal tender in Liberia. Many American states, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, among others created “colonization” societies to remove and send their “color” citizens back to Africa.
- On December 20, 2019, official discrimination against Liberian Refugees ended when Congress passed the Liberian Refugee Fairness Act and President Trump signed the bill into law. The bill was tagged to a defense authorization bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Even with the new law, Liberian refugees are not out of the woods of America’s obsession with subversion of democracy. Unlike other refugees whose filing fees for green card is waived, Liberian beneficiaries of the “fairness” law, many of whom have not been working for decades in America must pay $85 for biometrics, up to $350 for medical screening, $1,140 filing fees for green cards.
- There are about 4000 Liberians who were granted permits to work. An additional 6000 Liberians were denied work permits for no justifiable reasons. Those denied work permits for decades include Liberian Refugee Mothers of American born children who were airlifted from Liberia during Operation Shining Express (OSE) ordered by President George W. Bush on June 12, 2003.
- The Liberian Mothers in question were promised work permits but upon arrival in America, the Bush Administration and two terms of the Obama Administration denied the Liberian Mothers permits to work and access to humanitarian assistance while offering work permits and humanitarian assistance to other similarly situated refugees from other lands with no ties to the United States. This cruel treatment was brought to the attention to members of Congress.
- The entire Massachusetts Delegation to Congress advocated for equal treatment, to no avail. The matter was challenged in court because of the ‘equal protection” clause of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Additionally, Native Americans banished from their lands in 1830 during the Indian Removal Act and Liberians removed from the United States and exiled in 1820 are actually Americans robbed of their rights and as such should be paid for damages, not charged thousands of dollars for green cards.
- It’s not that Americans don’t care. Most Americans are unaware of the cruelty of the Government to Native Americans who lived here thousands of years before we came and African Americans whose contributions to America long before the American revolution and the adoption of the US Constitution. “Do unto others…” Would you like to be uprooted by strangers from the land of your nativity and exiled like Native Americans and the ancestors of Liberians were removed and deported? Please join me to bring an end to this injustice 200 years and counting. Join us to end official racism against people of color in the United States.
- I am putting up an exhibition for Black History Month featuring Liberia in West Africa. I am from Liberia, a colony of the United States of America. Liberia was founded by white slave owners who were also high ranking US Government Officials from President to Secretary of state, to speaker of the House at Congress to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
- Hey, I ask that you consider volunteering with my non profit, Universal Human Rights International (UHRI). What do you think?Yours, Toril