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D.
S. Pewu lives on (A tribute to David Sumuwoi Pewu, A good brother)
Thursday,
November 24, 2005
By
Pianapue Kept Early
Dear Sumuwoi Pewu,
You
are not dead. Even
though your physical body is absent, your political
philosophy, your battle is alive and kicking.
We will join you in that struggle, both here
and over there.
Pewu
and I shared some things in common.
We were born under the Scorpio Zodiac sign:
He was November 8, and I am November 9.
In most cases, we faced the same socio-cultural
and historical realities that plague Liberia and the
Liberian people.
The struggle was, and still is, finding
solutions to these realities because this became
Pewu’s ultimate life journey.
Pewu
and I attended the University of Liberia together, and
even though we were in different colleges, we had
closer affiliation because of our political leanings
at the time. We
both graduated, he with a Business degree, and I with
a Liberal Arts degree.
His Business degree, however, was not his only
quality.
He
was very outspoken, jovial, frank, and radical.
He is among the many young and old
revolutionary minded Liberians who see the Nation’s
plight as their personal struggle.
His worldview captured liberation and justice
as a theme, and his pursuits were directed toward
achieving both, in Liberia.
While a handful of people may have felt he was
“talkative,” he was one who spoke his mind.
His diction was quite sharp.
When
he wrote, it was long.
And although his arguments made perfect sense,
I wondered sometimes, why he wouldn’t just shorten
his narrative and be more concise.
His basic response seemed to be that it was his
way of providing a more detailed argument and to
ensure his readers that he knew what he was talking
about.
I
don’t know what role he played in the Lofa Students
Association at the University, since his ethnic
background is situated in Lofa County.
I know his involvement in the Liberian National
Students Movement (LINSU) and the Student Unification
Party (SUP) was duly noted.
He, along with other fallen comrades like Wiwi
Davis Debbah; Tonea Richardson; Wuo Garpie Tarpiah;
Momolu Lavela; Benedict Garlawulo; Julius Bacchus
Greaves; and Arthur Boyou Wannah, as well as others
still alive, edited and published releases that shook
up and sometimes led to “political victories” over
the national government and officials.
In the SUP, Pewu and others helped to bring it
from a student political party on the University
Campus to a movement for building socio-political
consciousness and awareness.
It led the way in providing political
education, formally and informally to some Liberians,
mainly University Staff and ordinary people.
During
Samuel “Killer” Doe’s ten-year nightmarish rulership
in Liberia, Pewu, along with others like Anthony
Kesseley; Alaric Tokpa; Thomas Du; Jallah Kpator;
Tarnue Johnson; Kologba Spencer, to name a few, spoke
up, openly criticizing the Doe Regime, even if the
criticisms were expressed on the campus.
But Pewu would take his fight to the national
level, challenging “careless” or
“irresponsible” positions his detractors would
take in the larger debate.
From
President William R. Tolbert’s last years, 1978-79,
to the fall of Doe in 1990, many students, including
some of those already listed, went to jail for openly
challenging the government.
The jailing of “progressive elements,” like
students and their leaders, did have its good side and
bad side.
On
the one hand, it was good because when released, the
detainees became “heroes” and “heroines,” and
people showed them great respect and affection. They
were greeted with cheers, sometimes, with the Liberian
Press available, and were recognized for their
“bravery.” This
going to jail stuff became for some, a game with the
government to seek their own ends. On the other hand, going to jail was bad because it was (and
still is) not fun when one is locked up, and one’s
freedom is curtailed.
It is never fun to go to jail for anything.
But
D. S. Pewu was a force to contend with.
He was an intellectual force, and a political
activist. He
knew how to argue, and how to speak correct English.
His diction was full, and he did not stutter.
One
thing about this life is how unpredictable it is.
A few days ago, Pewu and I had a conversation.
Now a few days have passed, and Pewu is no
longer with us. I
have learned that love from God, our Ancestor Supreme,
transcends our limitations and understandings.
With the war, many of us are still angry at
each other, and might even hold “hard feelings”
toward another person.
We
will honor those who are dead enough if we decide to
face the truth of our actions, and reconcile with
others and ourselves.
Life is short.
President
Tolbert came to “build thee a great nation.”
Doe came “in the cause of the people, the
struggle continues.”
Charles Taylor came to bring “freedom.”
All of these men, and some women supporters,
tried in vain, to do their best for Liberia.
However, we are still recovering from the
nightmare of their leadership.
Dear
Sumuwoi Pewu, you are not dead, because as you lay in
your final resting home, your political philosophy,
your struggle for “rights and rice,” the battle
you faced, all are still alive and kicking.
We will join you in this effort, and in the
final analysis, we will still join you.
Be blessed.
Good night, Pewu, and God bless you.
Pianapue
Kept Early is Adjunct Professor and Director of
Global Studies at the School of Theology, Virginia
Union University, Richmond, Virginia.
He and his family live in Richmond.
He can be reached at
liberianwriterpoet@yahoo.com
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