KWEE: Liberian Literary Magazine AUGUST 1, 2015 ISSUE | Page 7

Liberian Literary Magazine
.

Rique Speaks
I Like the Sunrise:
Duke Ellington’s
“Liberian Suite”
William V.S Tubman assumed
the Presidency of the Republic of
Liberia in January of 1944 with the
end of World War 2 still over 18
months away. The nation was 3
years away from its Centennial,
which
was
no
meager
accomplishment. The small nation
with its delicately balanced
population of repatriated peoples
of African descent and Africans
indigenous to that land had
struggled to maintain its reason
for
being,
black
political
independence, on an African map
that featured a mere two shapes
not administered by the English,
French, Portuguese, Dutch or
Germans : Liberia and Ethiopia.
And Ethiopia itself had just been
mired in a tragic yet heroic battle
with fascist Italy. Only Liberia and
Haiti existed as Black governed
constitutional republics.
Liberia’s
position
in
this
reshuffled deck of cards was a
vital one that was growing in
importance,
with
Firestone
National Rubber already on year
18 of a 99 year lease by 1944.
Because of that lease agreement
and the low cost rubber it
afforded the Allies, Liberia and
her underpaid rubber tappers

July 15, 2015 ISSUE # 0715
. American war
were a part of the
effort just as surely as the soldiers
on the battlefield and the
industrial workers cranking out
tanks, planes, guns and bombs in
the
repurposed
American
factories.
The weakness of the European
world powers in the wake of the
calamity would pave the way for
the United States position as the
dominant world power. The
inability of these colonial powers
to maintain their possessions
would also pave the way for the
anti-colonial movement and the
creation of new African states.
President Tubman understood
these forces and sought to take
advantage of them in order to
move Liberia forward.

Liberia’s position was unique,
being more closely aligned to the
new world power than any other
African nation. For the preceding
100
years
of
Liberian
independence this relationship
produced little of tangible
benefit, as the white supremacist
guardians of power in the States
had no interest whatsoever in
assisting
Black
governance’s
viability. Ironically, the new
countries that had suffered the
indignities of colonial domination
would receive more in the way of
roads, hospitals, schools, health
care and education than Liberia
ever would from the U.S.
But President Tubman more than
understood the game. He sought
to invite U.S development not
through
the
humanitarian
missionaries who had always
rendered brave and selfless
service to Liberia. He sought to
open up Liberia to foreign business

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investment,

which

would

sky

rocket in the new post war
business investment climate. Part
of this outreach to Liberia’s “step
mother”, the United States, would
be directed at the sons and
daughters of Africa in America.
There is a famous Jet magazine
with an open letter from President
Tubman
admonishing
Black
Americans to remember Africa.
And for the 1947 centennial he
would commission two great black
artists to produce works to
represent the history and the
potential of the Republic, Melvin B
Tolson, the famous black poet was
commissioned to write an epic
poem on the founding of Liberia he
titled, “Libretto for Liberia.”
Liberia would also commission a
musical suite from a man who’d
already been recognized as the
most adv