CROZIERVILLE, Montserrado County – In a vibrant celebration of shared  heritage, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and President Dame Sandra Prunella Mason of Barbados joined residents and dignitaries on Saturday May 10, to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the founding of Crozierville, a historic Liberian town founded by Barbadian settlers in 1865.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaon.com

The occasion, held at the Crozierville Town Hall, highlighted the enduring cultural and historical bonds between Liberia and Barbados, with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening diplomatic cooperation rooted in shared ancestry and values.

“We are proud to be Liberians. We are proud to be interconnected,” President Boakai declared. “Let’s take advantage of the knowledge of today to bring us closer. Liberia is a country with connections and contributions from all over. Some say we are the gate to Africa; I say we are the destination.”

Boakai emphasized Liberia’s founding by free people of African descent, including Barbadian immigrants who chose to settle in Liberia rather than Sierra Leone, illustrating the country’s deep roots in freedom and unity.

He acknowledged Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti for her efforts in strengthening diplomatic ties with Barbados, which have culminated in recent bilateral agreements and this historic state visit by President Mason—the first-ever by a Barbadian head of state to Liberia.

‘Reclaiming dignity and ancestral connection’

President Mason, delivering a deeply moving speech, said she was honored to stand in a town rooted in “courage and a profound sense of purpose.”

“What we honor here today is not just the founding of a town,” she said. “We honor a story of return. A journey of men, women, and children who crossed the Atlantic in faith—not just seeking a home, but reclaiming dignity and ancestral connection.”

Mason called for deeper cooperation between the two nations in areas such as education, trade, investment, and tourism, stating that the bonds between Liberians and Bajans are not merely historical, but “profoundly essential.”

Sankofa Pilgrimage

The ceremony also paid tribute to the Sankofa pilgrimage, a cultural exchange initiative that saw a group of Liberians of Barbadian descent travel to Barbados in May 2024 to retrace the footsteps of their ancestors. They were accompanied by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

“That journey was a powerful act of remembrance and reconnection,” President Mason noted. “Sankofa teaches us that it is not wrong to go back and fetch what we have forgotten. In returning, we reclaim identity.”

As part of Thursday’s celebration, the two presidents laid a wreath at the Crozierville monument—erected in 1965 to mark the town’s centennial—and unveiled plaques honoring former presidents of Barbadian descent, including Arthur Barclay, Edwin Barclay, and Charles Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL).

They also renamed a section of the town “Barbados Circle”, symbolizing the enduring legacy of Barbadian immigrants in Liberia.

Earlier, an intercessory service was held at Christ Church in Crozierville attended by Presidents Boakai and Mason and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Mason’s visit aligns with Liberia’s foreign policy to strengthen relations with Caribbean nations, especially in the areas of tourism, trade, education, and cultural exchange.

During her visit, President Mason attended a state luncheon hosted by President Boakai at Monrovia City Hall and visited Providence Island, where she met with a group of young climate activists on Friday, May 9.

Sanshey Biswas, Webster Clayeh and Manon Vershot contributed to this story.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The National Library Service is set to celebrate Africa Day on Friday, May 24, 2024, at the Roy Marshall Teaching Complex, University of the West Indies (UWI), from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This significant event aims to honor African heritage and culture through an enriching cultural experience for young students.

The celebration will host 250 school children aged 8 to 11 from ten primary schools across Barbados. In an exciting international exchange, children of similar ages from Liberia, Nigeria, and The Gambia will also participate virtually. This initiative seeks to educate and inspire the children about their African roots, fostering a sense of pride and self-worth in their heritage.

The participating Barbadian schools include Sharon Primary in St. Thomas, Charles F Broome Memorial Primary and St. Ambrose Primary in St. Michael, Mt. Tabor Primary in St. John, St. Lucy’s Primary in St. Lucy, St. Catherine’s Primary in St. Philip, St. Elizabeth Primary in St. Joseph, Christ Church Girls in Christ Church, St. George Primary in St. George, and West Terrace Primary in St. James. From Africa, schools from Liberia, Nigeria, and The Gambia will join the celebration.

The event will feature various activities designed to highlight African culture and traditions. Children will showcase African-inspired clothing, celebrating the vibrant and diverse fashion heritage of the continent. Emphasizing the importance of oral traditions in African culture, storytellers from both Barbados and the participating African countries will engage the children with captivating narratives. Brief cultural performances from the African schools and a combined presentation from the Barbadian schools will enrich the experience, promoting a deeper understanding of shared cultural values.

The highlight of the day will be a virtual cultural exchange via Zoom, allowing children from Barbados and the African countries to interact in real time. This exchange aims to foster mutual understanding and tolerance, promoting long-lasting friendships and potential future exchanges. To enhance the children’s experience, a video showcasing notable Barbadian sites like Harrison’s Cave, Bayley’s Plantation, and the monument in Hero’s Square will be produced. This video will also feature prominent cultural icons of Barbados.

The event logistics are meticulously planned, with transportation provided by Sam’s Tours due to specific timing requirements. Coordinators, including The Centre for Hybrid Studies and the Kids’ Educational Engagement Project (KEEP) in Liberia, will ensure smooth participation from the African schools.

The provisional budget for the event includes $700 for the venue at UWI Lecture Theatre 1, $6,500 for communication links including technical production, streaming, and recording, $4,000 for coordinator fees for the Centre for Hybrid Studies, $1,000 for the Kids’ Educational Engagement Project, $2,500 for manager fees for Aja, $1,000 for MC fees for Julius Gittens, $500 for storyteller Deanne Kennedy, and $5,200 for transportation by Sam’s Tours. The total cost is estimated at $21,400.

The event promises to be a landmark occasion, nurturing a greater appreciation of African heritage among young Barbadians and strengthening ties with their African peers. The National Library Service and Aja, the event managers, are dedicated to making Africa Day 2024 a memorable and impactful celebration.

Bridgetown – A plaque honoring the descendants of the 346 Barbadians who traveled to Liberia on May 10, 1865, has been unveiled in Barbados Capital, Bridgetown.

Two of Liberia’s presidents – Arthur Barclay, the 15th president who ruled from 1904 to 1912, and Edwin Barclay, the 18th president from 1943 to 1944 – were descendants of a single voyage of Barbadians in 1865.

In 1865, 27 years after emancipation, a group of 346 Black Barbadians boarded a ship named The Cora at the Bridgetown wharf for a 34-day Atlantic voyage to the West African nation.

Among the passengers on board The Cora was Anthony Barclay, the leader of the repatriation group, and his wife Sarah Ann Bourne-Barclay, daughter of London Bourne, the ex-slave who became a wealthy merchant and abolitionist. Among the Barclays’ 11 children was the youngest, Arthur Barclay who would become president.

Unveiling the Plaque on Bay Street last Thursday, to mark this year’s Sankofa Pilgrimage, Prime Minister Mia Mottley told hundreds of Liberians visiting the island to explore their ancestral roots, that while the two nations share historical connections – Barbados produced two former Liberian presidents – this relationship has not been fully embraced over the years.

Said PM Mottley: “The fact that we were able to formally establish those linkages only recently is regrettable, but what must matter is not that these two voyages stand as exceptions, but they must simply be seen as foundations.”

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of improving relations, telling the descendants: “It’s about time, as we have said, and Barbados stands ready to work with our African partners to build that transportation bridge, and that bridge of the sharing of information, and the bridge of the common curriculum that would allow our people to be able to know our common history.”

The Prime Minister called for both nations to move past historical, social, and political achievements and instead pursue equal justice, especially for those overlooked by the west too often. “I say to you publicly, that you own as Liberians, part of the pride that we own as Barbadians for making this final step of charting our destiny,” Mottley said. “The story of Liberia is also the story that Barbadians must come to understand because it is also a story of life, the story of humans and the story of civilization.”

PM Motley urged both countries not to take stability and prosperity for granted, warning: “As we traverse this path of nation-building in both countries, let us not take stability and prosperity for granted. Because, like a house, if we don’t maintain it each and every day, as easy as it has come to us would be as easy as it shall be taken from us.

“Today signals that they are on both sides of the Atlantic, people who are willing to cement themselves together in unity, to fight the battles not just in our individual countries, but in our regions, and our planet.”

The PM averred that urged the pilgrims to appreciate the moment. “Together, we shall rise, has to be our rallying call because our separation served only to make others powerful and to aggrandize others. I do not think there may be a full appreciation for how emotional this moment is.”

The PM said, the passage across the oceans, regrettably, has been known from iniquity but it has been equally known through you for empowerment and aggrandizement.

The PM paid homage to former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for her remarkable contributions to Liberia. “Madam President, your story of being able to take a country that was torn apart by civil war and to put it back on a path that was not riveting or taken apart by the values of your own testament but in the manner in which you sought to bring reconciliation and to heal people and nation, is a story that is not often told in spite that you own the accolade of Nobel Peace Prize.

ACCRA, Ghana – The Republic of Liberia and Barbados have solidified diplomatic relations through a historic signing ceremony held in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday. The event, presided over by Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, and Madam Juliette Babb-Riley, Head of Mission of the High Commission of Barbados, marked a significant milestone in the diplomatic landscape of both nations.

By Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com

The signing ceremony, the culmination of extensive engagements between the Embassy of Liberia in Accra and the High Commission of Barbados accredited to Ghana, underscores a shared commitment to fostering fruitful and mutually beneficial South-South relationships. Spearheaded by Minister Nyanti, these engagements have laid the groundwork for collaborative efforts across various sectors.

Over the past fortnight, discussions led by Minister Nyanti have centered on exploring avenues for cooperation between Liberia and Barbados. Key areas of focus include leveraging Barbados’s expertise in the National Training Initiative (NTI) to bolster Liberia’s workforce capabilities through knowledge exchange and technology transfer in skills development.

Furthermore, cooperation in the tourism sector is expected to flourish, with plans to establish a human resource capacity-building model involving institutions such as the Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute. According to the agreement, Liberians stand to benefit from training opportunities in hospitality and tourism, while also drawing insights from Barbadian expertise in organizing festivals and cultural events to invigorate Liberia’s tourism landscape.

Cultural heritage is another realm ripe for collaboration, with proposed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at fostering cultural exchange and enhancing museum management skills in Liberia.

There would also be an annual legal lecture series honoring Louis Arthur Grimes, offering a platform for sharing legal insights and expertise. Additionally, both nations have committed to exploring synergistic approaches to marine resource management to advance Liberia’s blue economy, alongside initiatives to bolster trade relations and develop a green energy economy.

In her remarks preceding the signing ceremony, Minister Nyanti underscored the historical ties between Barbados and Liberia, dating back to the arrival of Barbadians aboard the Brig Cora in 1865. Notable figures of Bajan descent, including former presidents and political activists, have left an indelible mark on Liberian society, further cementing the historical and cultural bonds between the two nations.

Accompanying Minister Nyanti to the signing ceremony were Hon. Boima Kamara, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, and Hon. Luther Tarpeh, Chairperson of the Board of the National Ports Authority of Liberia.

In a related development, during a working visit to Ghana, Minister Nyanti and the Liberian delegation engaged in discussions with Her Excellency Ingrid Mollestad, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway accredited to Liberia with residence in Ghana. The discussions, spanning a range of topics, reflect Liberia’s commitment to enhancing bilateral relations with Norway and fostering closer ties between the two nations.

Historical Background

The bond between Liberia and Barbados is deeply rooted, with two former Presidents of Liberia tracing their ancestry to Barbados – Arthur Barclay and his nephew, Edwin Barclay. This connection dates back to President Daniel Bashiel Warner’s invitation, issued 159 years ago, urging individuals of African descent from the West Indies to settle in Liberia. This rich historical tapestry sets the stage for a momentous heritage event slated for May 6-16 in Barbados, where descendants of the original families who migrated to Liberia in 1865 will converge.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has endorsed this event, which will witness the participation of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, marking a pivotal moment not only for political, cultural, and developmental cooperation but also for fostering business opportunities between the two nations.

Senator John Andrew King, a Barbadian politician and one of the event’s organizers, envisions this gathering as a long-awaited opportunity. He highlights the historical significance of Barbadians returning to Africa to establish a free state during the colonial era, emphasizing Liberia’s role as a beacon of resilience and self-governance.

President Arthur Barclay, born in Barbados in 1854, played a pivotal role in reconciling conflicts between mulattoes and black emigrants during his presidency from 1904 to 1912. His tenure witnessed constitutional amendments granting citizenship to tribal peoples and the introduction of ‘indirect rule’ systems.

The genesis of the heritage event traces back to 2021 when Prime Minister Mottley expressed her aspiration to Ambassador Lorenzo Llewellyn Witherspoon during a meeting in Bridgetown. This vision evolved into the Sankofa Pilgrimage, aiming to reunite Liberian Barbadians with their ancestral homeland and vice versa.

Ambassador Witherspoon, a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience, spearheaded efforts to realize this vision, culminating in collaborations with global teams and discussions with President Sirleaf. The event, featuring President Sirleaf as a prominent figure, serves to strengthen the historical ties between Liberia and Barbados.

Prime Minister Mottley’s advocacy for integration, underscored during the CARICOM-Africa Summit, reflects a broader push for connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean. Initiatives such as establishing direct flights, fostering media exchanges, and collaborative approaches to global issues underscore the shared aspirations of both regions.

Monrovia – The ties that bind Liberia and Barbados is cemented in the fact that two former Presidents of Africa’s oldest republic are of Bajan descent – Arthur Barclay and his nephew, Edwin Barclay. Some 159 years after President Daniel Bashiel Warner extended an invitation to persons of African descent from the islands of the West Indies to come and settle in Liberia, Barbados is bracing for a heritage event of historic significance, when descendants of the original families who arrived in Liberia in 1865, descend on the Island for a pilgrimage set for May 6-16.

By Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

Prime Minister Mia Mottley who has given her blessing to the event will be joined by Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for the historic event which is expected to not only pave the way for enhanced political, cultural, developmental, and business between the two countries, but also open doors of opportunity for growth.

Senator John Andrew King, a Barbadian politician and one of the organizers of the event, foresees a unique opportunity that has been long in the making. “This is the beginning of a relationship that may have been written out of the history books if not for the intervention of Ambassador Lorenzo Witherspoon. We were never taught that brave Barbadians returned to the Motherland on their own to create a new life and build a totally free state on the continent. In the height of Colonialism Liberia was a shining example of what we as black Africans could achieve after being told by the West, we could not manage our own affairs. A beacon of resilience against all odds is being once again accomplished through the Sankofa Pilgrimage. Together we will build a better world for ourselves and our future generations.”

President Barclay’s paternal grandparents moved from Barbados to Liberia with their children in 1865. They were among a minority of immigrants from the Caribbean but shared with the Americo-Liberians a culture with an English base, considerable mixed-race ancestry, and a shared history.

The Presidency of Arthur Barclay who led Liberia from 1904 to 1912 is often credited with bringing an end to the conflict between mulattoes and black emigrants. It was under Barclay’s reign that the Liberian Constitution was changed giving citizenship to the people of tribal origin, and a system of ‘indirect rule’ introduced.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 31, 1854, the tenth of twelve children of Anthony and Sarah Barclay, Arthur Barclay was the father of Anthony Barclay, who served on the Supreme Court of Liberia during the reign of his uncle Edwin Barclay, Liberia’s 18th president.

The idea for the event started in 2021 when Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, expressed to Ambassador Lorenzo Llewellyn Witherspoon, on the occasion of their meeting at Ilaro Court in Bridgetown, her dream of bringing Liberian Barbadians home to Barbados, and subsequently take African Barbadians home to Liberia and West Africa sometime in the near future.

Ambassador Witherspoon served as Liberia’s first Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to South Africa from 1997 to 2001, with concurrent accreditation to Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Before then, he had served from 1987 to 1991 as First Secretary & Consul of Liberia in Kinshasa, Zaire, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Congo. In 2022, he retired from the United Nations World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, after 17 years of “outstanding” service.

The Prime Minister had invited Ambassador Witherspoon to discuss the Report on his family’s emigration to Liberia in 1865 as part of a group comprising 346 Barbadians. Although many descendants of those families (Portes, Weekes, Barclays, Wiles, Padmores, Thorpes, Murrays, Goodridges, among others) had conducted some research in the past, none had made their findings public.

The Report, “Portes Find a New Home in Liberia: Story of the Post-Emancipation Emigration of The John Prince PORTE Family from Barbados, West Indies, to Liberia, West Africa & The Family’s Quest for Ancestral Citizenship”, was published and released in May 2021.

On the margins of the Founders Lecture and Gala Dinner of the Principal and Bicentennial-Chancellor of UNISA in Pretoria on November 29, 2023, Ambassador Witherspoon had the privilege of updating President Sirleaf on the planning for the Sankofa Pilgrimage to Barbados.

President Sirleaf congratulated Ambassador Witherspoon, appreciating him for his effort which would unite the two countries for the first time since the 1865 negotiated emigration. She also requested a copy of the Report, which was delivered following her return to Liberia.

For almost two years Ambassador Witherspoon and the global team he assembled had been discussing which iconic and truly eminent Liberian brand could make the event truly significant and memorable, and President Sirleaf, the 2011 Noble Laureate, emerged as an undisputable choice.

Efforts are also being made to further cement relations between the two countries with the establishment of diplomatic relations. Despite the linkage of Arthur and Edwin Barclay and other Bajans to Liberia, there is no diplomatic ties between Barbados and Liberia, a faux pas long overdue for correcting, Prime Minister of Barbados Mottley declared.  In a December 2021 interview with FrontPageAfrica, PM Mottley expressed shock about the glitch. “I could not believe that the country for which we have had a president (Arthur Barclay – 1904–1912), born in Barbados, we did not have diplomatic relations between the two countries. My government has moved to change that. I had early conversations with your president (George Weah) when I saw him at the COP Summit in Glasgow, and I hope that we can literally deepen the cooperation between the two countries because this is a perfect example of being separated by the middle passage.”

PM Mottley has been a strong advocate for integration and hit home the point when she addressed the historic and inaugural CARICOM-Africa virtual Summit hosted by Kenya under the theme, “Unity Across Continents and Oceans: Opportunities for Deepening Integration.”

This is the beginning of a relationship that may have been written out of the history books if not for the intervention of Ambassador Lorenzo Witherspoon. We were never taught that brave Barbadians returned to the Motherland on their own to create a new life and build a totally free state on the continent. In the height of Colonialism Liberia was a shining example of what we as black Africans could achieve after being told by the West, we could not manage our own affairs. A beacon of resilience against all odds is being once again accomplished through the Sankofa Pilgrimage. Together we will build a better world for ourselves and our future generations.”

  Senator John Andrew King, Barbadian politician

For Mottley, a burning issue has been the push for weekly direct flights between Africa and the Caribbean, a joint public-private sector mechanism, a shared mass media platform to exchange news, information and culture, and a collective approach to the United Nations Conference against racism.

This is an idea that concerned Ambassador Witherspoon, and one which, through the Business Forum planned as part of the Sankofa Pilgrimage, and other initiatives, he hopes will be redressed in collaboration with the Barbados Ministry of Investment and Economy.

The Prime Minister told FPA that it was so important to make the push. “I said and I repeat now that we need to remove the middle passage, the middleman, the middle leg, in our relationship between the Caribbean and Africa – and that is exactly what we are trying to do. So, my officials in the Ministry of Tourism are working with others in Kenya and in Ghana to see how we can open up the continent for the first time in terms of air travel. I think we all agree that there is a market on both sides who are willing to learn more, to participate more. We want to know more of our heritage and persons in Africa want to be able to see what became of their families in this part of the world and at the same time enjoy what we sent to the world which is some of the best locations to be able to enjoy and relax and to reflect and to work from. So, I look forward to that.”

The PM says her government has in recent months opened an embassy in Ghana and in Kenya and pointed to ongoing discussions in the backdrop of the CARICOM summit as a key reason why relationship between Africa and the Caribbean should be fostered.  “The stories that are less known is that we came back to Africa – and we came back to Liberia, and we came to Sierra Leone and those stories are now being told. I keep saying that there was actually a Bajan person who was a Barbadian born, who was a President of a nation of the world before Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, and that was in Liberia – at the turn of the century.”