Let me tell you a very short story about myself. When I graduated from the University of Liberia, my father encouraged me to attend the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. At the Admission offices of the Law School, I met the Dean of the Law School at the time who happened to be a female. I presented her my documents and expressed my desire to enter the Law School. After reading my name on the documents, she slowly lifted her head, adjusted her reading glasses at the edge of her nose and looked at me not through, but over the  glasses and asked “ Young lady what do you want?” I replied “As per my father advice, I want to attend the law school and be a lawyer.” Surprised with my response, she asked again “What can a Mandingo woman do with a law degree?” I humbly and respectfully answered “I want to prepare myself to be able to serve my country when call upon. These questions were not meant for me alone, but every Mandingo woman. These questions were not just mere questions, but also a challenge to every Mandingo man to recognize the fact that the girl-children and not just the boy-children also have the rights to go to school and answer these questions their own ways too. The women of Liberia especially the Mandingo women have the ability to act, so give them the fair chance to go to school and be educated so that the ability they have to act will be given to them as a responsibility to lead, to unite and to help in the reconstruction of our beloved Country, Liberia.

 

Brothers and sisters, at this crucial time of making history in our community, let’s be mindful how

we address issues.  Reconciliation is not about just someone confessing their crime or guilt, but, also the victim putting faith in the higher power, and making the perpetrators to understand that once there is life there is hope, and if one can block the sunrise with the hands, you can block one’s future.  No one can change a person if the person is not ready for change, but to help the person understand what change is about, we must show the person love which may help take the person from his or her comfort zone to find reasons for change.  Love is the best gift we can offer anyone if we want for the person to change.

 

If individual ego, entitlement, past glory, self-centeredness, and loyalty for the wrong reasons are in constant struggle with the group interest, there is always going to be feared which leads to anger, and anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the suffering of the people we all want to serve in our own way.  As we are about to make history, if bygones can’t be bygones, but, we continue to rely on individual to apologize to individual he or she offended, there is going to be no room for reconciliation in that manner. If we dialogue, we can resolve lots of problems without engaging each other individually. Dialogue could change the way we think of each other. Reconciliation is not about just the perpetrators asking for forgiveness but for those who see themselves as victims to learn to forgive the perpetrators first and then forgiveness become easy for all.  There is no way that you are going to have two captains commanding one ship at a particular moment.  Reconciliation is possible and only possible if the perpetrators have remorse, and there is change through the person’s actions and words toward society.  Those who see themselves as victims could be the one making reconciliation difficult because they want to be the center stage of the group which in itself is individual ego.  We all must start with ourselves. If we are victims, we can forgive. If we were perpetrators we can change. We can help each other to become better people from this crisis. We can all learn to be better people by listening to each other with a loving heart. Peace is so needed in this world.

 

Our children, here in America need us to become reconciled and peaceful again so that we can teach them what they need to know to be strong in the face of the challenges that America is throwing at them every day. They can’t be expected to handle the challenges of racism in America’s schools and streets and anger at home. Home, our community needs to be a place where they will be nurtured, a safe place to come. America’s streets can be dangerous places. Our community in America must provide our children the same kinds of roots provided to us by our ancestors. Our ancestors gave us many proverbs to live by. They gave us stories. They gave us a sense of pride in ourselves as Liberians. What are we giving our children? America will not give them a sense of pride in being of Liberian descent. It’s up to US! If we won’t do it for each other and we won’t do it for ourselves, then at least let’s do it for our children.

 

Let me tell you a very short story about myself. When I graduated from the University of Liberia, my father encouraged me attend the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. At the Admission offices of the Law School, I met the Dean of the Law School at the time who happened to be a female. I presented her my documents and expressed my desire of entering the Law School. After reading my name on the documents, she slowly lifted her head, adjusted her reading glasses at the edge of her nose and looked at me not through, but over the  glasses and asked “ Young lady what do you want?” I replied “As per my father advice, I want to attend the law school and be a lawyer.” Surprised with my respond, she asked again “What can a Mandingo woman do with a law degree?” I humbly and respectfully answered “I want to prepare myself to be able to serve my country when call upon.