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Pres.
Sirleaf's Atlanta visit too controversial, and not
inclusive of all
Sunday,
May 14, 2006
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
In
the early 1980s and 1990s, the then Liberian Community
Association of Georgia (LCAG), known now as the
Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA),
was a major and unofficial center for political
activism in the southeast.
Membership in the association was at a record
high and monthly meetings were well attended, as
progressive Liberians who cared passionately about
politics, the plight of their people and the direction
of their country demanded from their government
political participation, equal rights and justice for
all, and an improved standard of living for the people
and country they left behind.
Liberians at the time were not as deeply
fragmented politically, socially and ethnically as
they are today. At least during that time, they showed
unity and were patriotic even as they attended to
their personal chores, or when they quietly attended
their respective ethnic associations’ meetings.
With all that went on in their busy lives,
Liberians were not oblivious to politics only to later
show up for free parties as some are doing today. They
attended political gatherings to discuss the crucial
issues that affected their people at home and took
actions when they have to.
Pres.
Sirleaf addresses Liberian Community at reception in
Chicago (photo, Liberian Embassy)
The advent of the Charles Taylor era in the 90s
was a very shaky time in the history of the nation,
and a period of “identity politics.” That period
saw a sharp rise in the number of the various ethnic,
schools and county groups, and a tremendous decline in
the membership of the many Liberian associations in
the United States.
This happened to be the time when Liberians
saw, not Tolbert or Doe as a threat to their
collective interests, but the polarizing and corrupt Charles
Taylor, who they viewed as a serious threat to the
survival of their people and country.
As a result of that threat and the
disappointing and ineffective leadership crisis in the
Union of Liberian Associations in the United States
– an organization known to have groomed Charles
Taylor and several of the opportunistic leaders on the
national stage in Liberia, those Liberians decided to
concentrate their time, energies, creative efforts,
remittances and other contributions to rebuilding
their own little enclaves in the part of the country
where they hailed.
The Union of Liberian Associations in the
Americas, (ULAA) a body, which supposedly is the
umbrella organization of Liberian associations in the
United States, also saw a sharp and disappointing
decline in its membership, funds and activities, as
Liberians all across the country deserted ULAA and all
things local and national in order to concentrate on
their individual interests and organizations.
Gone are the days when a unified and
progressive Liberian community in metro Atlanta was
the epicenter for grass roots political activism; when
the community, with its rich civil rights history and
home of the late civil rights icon, the Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr., was the place to be, to work in his
shadow and study the examples he left behind.
The Liberian communities in the State of
Georgia like Liberian communities all across the
United States are indeed going through a period of
crisis in terms of attendance, peace, unity and political
participation.
And when Liberians, some of whom have never
participated in anything political in their lifetime
finally participates civically or politically as
we’ve seen recently with the group, “Liberians for
Ellen” (LIFE), those Liberians will do anything -
all they can to exploit their involvement with the political power by poisoning relationships to prove
how powerful and influential they can be.
The anticipated arrival of President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf to metro Atlanta in May once again
brought head-on the issues of peace and unity, as the president’s friends, “Liberians for
Ellen” (LIFE), known for their aggressive
fundraising drives and overtly divisive and
non-inclusive politics decided to host the visiting
leader during her visit in their backyard without the
involvement of the greater Liberian association.
One of their leaders, John E. Scott made it
clear during a recent community meeting when he said:
"Certain members of
his group openly remarked that they don’t want the
community to join them" in their efforts to host
President Sirleaf, and as a former president of the
community, he intervened by telling them that it
wasn’t right, and vowed to relay their message to
the community.
Yes, Mr. Scott did tell the community about his
group’s hateful and divisive views. For his bold
effort, we must thank him. Now we all know that
group's position on the issues of peace and unity.
The Liberian Association of Metropolitan
Atlanta and its leadership do not have a say in the
president’s visit, nor will community President Sue
Yancy Williams be granted the courtesy and respect to
officially welcome our country’s president to our
city, which is an insult to Liberians in metro
Atlanta.
According to LIFE, Ms. Sirleaf will be on a
private visit to attend the high school graduation
ceremonies of her granddaughters, and because she will
be on a private visit, she will not have the time to
meet with the Liberian community. The last time I
checked, however, Ellen was elected president of all
Liberians, and not for a select few.
However, Liberians for Ellen (LIFE), in
collaboration with the area’s civic and business
leaders will be hosting a $125.00 a person fundraising
dinner, or $1,000 a table for the president during her
visit.
Even the local Liberian journalists,
commentators and
political analysts like this writer will not be issued
a press pass for the event, because “they are not
journalists,” as businessman and the president’s
supporter, Eric Bracewell told me sarcastically, but
the foreign press will be issued passes to cover the
event.
So when is a president’s visit a private one?
Is it possible for a president who’s on a private
visit to perform his or her official duties while on
that private visit? Is President Sirleaf aware of this
controversy in her name? If yes, is she in support of
her overzealous local supporters and organizers
keeping her away from her countrymen and women who
wants to greet and spend quality time with her to
discuss the future of their country?
So in the event of a national crisis while the
president is out of the country, will the president
not respond to the crisis because she’s on a private
visit?
Meanwhile, as the discussions to convince
the “LIFERS” for the community to participate
fully in the programs during the president's visit,
and for President Sirleaf to meet with Liberians in
metro Atlanta hit a snag, Liberians gathered on May 6
to discuss what the organizers of that event dubbed a
“unity” conference.
With much enthusiasm, speakers after
speakers spoke to the crowd of roughly 200 about
unity, peace and the
need for community participation and civic
responsibilities.
With the latest controversy looming, sadly,
unity is a far cry from reality among Liberians.
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