Should Black Americans Respect And Honor The History Of Liberia

This post was originally published on Word In Black.The Republic of Liberia was controversial when founded by free Black emigrants from the U.S. during the darkest days of slavery. Today, it is a symbol of their successful colonial experiment. Yet the country holds little sway in the public imagination, an oversight that needs correction—and all the more so during an election year when politicians are neglecting history for their advantage.The history of Liberia should be honored as much as the independence holiday of Juneteenth, and the Congressional Black Caucus and Library of Congress should include it in commemorations. That is the land of liberty known as Liberia, set on the west coast of Africa at the bend of the Gulf of Guinea. It was the second Black republic after Haiti, founded two centuries ago by free people as most of their peers were in chains. The region that became Liberia was long known by European traders as the “Grain Coast” for its agricultural products. That distinction vanished when the demand for slaves made selling people more lucrative than selling pepper.The Liberia project was controversial within the small and hard-pressed community of free Black people, which comprised about 10% of the...