Liberia: Between memory and sovereignty, President Boakai advocates patriotism based on an understanding of the country’s history.
On the occasion of Liberia’s 179th Independence Day, celebrated in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai delivered a message that went far beyond mere commemoration: “Patriotism can only be built on citizens’ mastery of their own nation’s history.” Under the theme “Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-Led Historical Leadership,” the celebration served as an opportunity for the Head of State to call on his compatriots not merely to commemorate the past, but to fully appropriate it.
For President Boakai, this 179th anniversary was not just a celebration of sovereignty, but also a moment of reflection on the nation’s journey and its future.
He recalled that Liberia’s history marked by resilience, sacrifice, and unity despite periods of conflict, political instability, and economic hardship is rooted in the encounter between indigenous communities, Africans returning from the Americas and the Caribbean, and the enduring ties forged with the African diaspora.
A unique national identity, he said, called to inspire unity, patriotism, and responsible governance. “A nation that understands its history is better prepared to shape its future,” he summarized.
In this spirit, the Head of State announced the creation of a National Historical Recovery and Repatriation Initiative, designed to work with international partners, universities, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions to repatriate copies of historical documents relating to Liberia held abroad.
He insisted on a central principle of this endeavor: Liberians must remain at the heart of the research, interpretation, and presentation of their own history, both for their fellow citizens and for the rest of the world.
The President also ordered the establishment of an intergovernmental technical committee to assess the future of the Kendeja Cultural Center, with a view to its restoration and modernization.
By placing history at the center of the national project, as the bicentennial of independence approaches, Joseph Boakai affirms a simple but structuring conviction: no lasting patriotism can be built on ignorance of the past, and no nation can claim sovereignty if it leaves others to write its own story.
