DATI Founder Calls for Urgent National Action on Culture Following Presidential Honor

MONROVIA, LIBERIA – August 1, 2026: Following a recent recognition by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. with Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander, renowned playwright, educator, and cultural advocate Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr. says the national honor should serve as a catalyst for urgent action to preserve Liberia’s cultural heritage.

Although currently residing in the United States and unable to attend the investiture ceremony, Dr. Gbaba said he watched with pride as his brother-in-law, Mr. Rameses A. Porte, Jr., received the prestigious national honor on his behalf during the ceremony held in Monrovia.

Speaking on what comes next after the recognition, Dr. Gbaba disclosed that Dehkontee Artists Theatre Inc. (DATI) has submitted a proposal to President Boakai, through the Director-General of the Cabinet, Hon. Nathaniel Kwabo, offering consultancy services in the areas of culture, education, and tourism. According to Dr. Gbaba, the proposal seeks to allow DATI to serve as a technical and professional consultancy institution, collaborating with relevant government agencies to strengthen Liberia’s cultural, educational, and tourism sectors while remaining non-political.

“I am not a politician. I am a technocrat who uses education, arts, and culture to teach, inspire, and build human character,” Dr. Gbaba stated. “Through consultancy and technical support, DATI can assist in preserving Liberia’s cultural identity and promoting national development.”

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Dr. Gbaba further emphasized the need for the Government of Liberia to act swiftly in establishing a National Cultural Committee to address what he described as the gradual erosion of Liberia’s cultural heritage. He warned that continued delays could lead to the extinction of indigenous languages, declining patriotism, and the weakening of national identity.

He noted that culture, education, and tourism are highly specialized sectors that require expert guidance and the active involvement of professionals if Liberia is to achieve meaningful and sustainable progress.Reflecting on DATI’s long-standing contributions to national development, Dr. Gbaba highlighted the organization’s historic role in promoting Pan-Africanism, national unity, peacebuilding, reconciliation, and civic education through theatre, music, dance, and community outreach.

During the administration of former President William R. Tolbert, DATI produced stage performances supporting African liberation movements, including the acclaimed production “The Chains of Apartheid.” During Liberia’s civil conflict, DATI partnered with UNICEF-Liberia to promote peace and reconciliation through radio and live drama performances. Since 2019, the organization has also trained young people in Montserrado and Maryland Counties as peace advocates and community leaders.

As DATI prepares to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2027, the organization is also spearheading efforts to establish Liberia’s first School of Performing and Visual Arts, aimed at preserving and institutionalizing Liberian culture while creating opportunities for future generations. Dr. Gbaba concluded by reiterating his willingness, along with DATI, to provide technical expertise and consultancy services to help revitalize Liberia’s cultural sector if called upon by the government.

He also invited Liberians to reflect on the role of culture in nation-building and to support efforts aimed at preserving the country’s rich heritage.“A people who lose their culture lose their identity. Preserving our culture is not optional—it is essential for the survival and progress of our nation,” Dr. Gbaba emphasized.

Issued by: Victor D. Quitee, Media & Communications Officer Dehkontee Artists Theatre Inc. (DATI) Liberia

President Boikai, “Malika” and Happy “26” to All Liberians: Rabbi Gbaba’s July 26 Day Message

Salutations

Your Excellency, President Joseph Nyuma Boikai, Mr. Vice President, Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Madam Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Honorable members of the National Legislature; Your Honor, the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court Bench and Lower Courts and Judicial Branch, members of the cabinet, the Armed Forces of Liberia and paramilitary parastatals of the Liberian government, members of the diplomatic corps, my beloved compatriots, citizens of the world, ladies and gentlemen:

Greetings to all to whom these tidings may come greeting.

Mr. President, I say “Malika” (Thank you) in the Kissi language as a sign of respect and love for our sacred cultural heritage and traditions. Your recent conferment upon me of Liberia’s Distinction of the Star of Africa with the grade of Commander was huge, wise, and just.

You dared to tread where other Presidents of Liberia (Samuel Kanyon Doe, Charles Taylor, Ellen Johnson Sireleaf, and George Weah) failed to tread. Therefore, I want to personally congratulate you for your statesmanship and for bestowing on a prominent and law abiding citizen the respect, dignity, and prestige deserving of a patriot.

You are the third Liberian President to recognize me but this time with a national distinction. The first two Presidents were His Excellency William R. Tolbert, Jr. and H.E. Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, for whom Dehkontee Artists Theatre held command Executive Mansion performances. We look forward to having you as our distinguished Patron at DATI’s 50th

Anniversary in Liberia and during the groundbreaking ceremonies of the DATI School of the Performing and Visual Arts and Center for Peace and Cultural Studies next year 2027.

You are the third Liberian President to recognize me but this time with a national distinction. The first two Presidents were His Excellency William R. Tolbert, Jr. and H.E. Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, for whom Dehkontee Artists Theatre held command Executive Mansion performances. We look forward to having you as our distinguished Patron at DATI’s 50th Anniversary in Liberia and during the groundbreaking ceremonies of the DATI School of the Performing and Visual Arts and Center for Peace and Cultural Studies next year 2027.

” Put Me In The Bush”

The Liberian idiom “Put me in the bush” is used to let someone know you are prepared and motivated to carry out any task they assign to you if they provide the wherewithal. Our recent scenario can also be likened to the townsfolks congratulating the cook who prepared delicious meals during the feast. However, if the townsfolks want the cook to continue to cook delicious meals during upcoming festive events then the townsfolks must be prepared to put the cook in the bush.

In other words and realistically speaking, we (including your humble servant, members of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc., along with family, friends, fans, and supporters) have raised approximately over ten million dollars over the past 52 years to underwrite the costs of producing cultural events in and out of Liberia, on the continents of Africa, North America, and Europe. Maintaining this legacy for over half a century was expensive and financially burdensome. We can no longer afford to carry this burden independently or privately. We need the support of the Liberian government and its international partners (United Nations, European Union, etc.) to resuscitate our dying and extinguishing cultural heritage. Also, note that no country can exist or succeed without a national cultural identity and nationally conscious citizens. We lack both attributes and this national catastrophe that hangs over our heads must be addressed in the soonest time possible to prevent the extinction of our cultural heritage and traditions.

Urgent Call to Action

Therefore, there is a need for you to act urgently in order to prevent Liberia’s cultural heritage from extinction. Currently, Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) has a proposal on your desk stipulating ways in which our team of experts can assist and collaborate with relevant Liberian government agencies in the areas of culture, education, peacebuilding, and positive youth development and active engagement in nation building as Liberian consultants and implementing Liberian NGO.

Please request that the Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) proposal in the possession of Honorable Nathaniel Kwabo, Director-General of the Cabinet, be submitted for your review and please get back to us at your earliest convenience because time is no longer in our favor. The reason for the urgency is because I am getting older, the few older folks left in our villages and towns to help us conduct cultural research and information gathering and to document and preserve our diverse and rich cultural heritage are dying away daily. Liberian youths are left in limbo due to lack of self-knowledge and drug addiction and Liberians in general lack national consciousness and identity. Therefore, the sooner our proposal can be endorsed the better it will be in the best interest of the state and your administration.

Back in the day Dehkontee Artists Theatre helped the Tolbert administration to promote Pan African thoughts and philosophy through drama, dance, and traditional music. We interpreted government’s domestic and foreign policies into radio drama series and live performances and traveled to various parts of Liberia to perform, educate and entertain Liberian citizens to make government policies culturally relevant and aligned with our Liberian way of life and thinking.

For an example, we produced “The Chains of Apartheid” in response to President Tolbert’s anti-Apartheid campaign and his international policy regarding the total liberation of the African continent. President Tolbert launched the “National Fund Drive for the Total Liberation of Southern Africa” to support the liberation struggles of our brothers and sisters in Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (Azania). “The Chains of Apartheid” debuted at the E. J. Roye Building Auditorium in December 1977.

During that epoch of Liberian history, most Liberians were ignorant about the plight of Africans under colonial rule and they did not clearly understand why President Tolbert was raising funds to support the liberation of our African brothers and sisters that were still under colonial rule. This was when and how we used the power of the arts to interpret the political ills of the Botha regime on the international stage. Consequently, DATI’s vivid portrayal on the global stage of atrocious acts of Apartheid regimes convinced Liberians and the international community that President Tolbert’s foreign policy supporting the total liberation of Africa was a just and worthwhile cause.

During the Sawyer interim period, I served briefly as Acting Deputy Minister for Culture and Tourism in 1992 and when I returned to private practice, I served as consultant and Dehkontee Artists Theatre served as an implementing agency with UNICEF-Liberia before my departure from Liberia. We promoted peace and national unity and reconciliation through live and radio drama series and organized a children’s peace theatre that toured various regions of Liberia under the control of warring factions.

Making Government Policy Culturally Relevant

Back in the day Dehkontee Artists Theatre helped the Tolbert administration to promote Pan African thoughts and philosophy through drama, dance, and traditional music. We interpreted government’s domestic and foreign policies into radio drama series and live performances and traveled to various parts of Liberia to perform, educate and entertain Liberian citizens to make government policies culturally relevant and aligned with our Liberian way of life and thinking.

For an example, we produced “The Chains of Apartheid” in response to President Tolbert’s anti-Apartheid campaign and his international policy regarding the total liberation of the African continent. President Tolbert launched the “National Fund Drive for the Total Liberation of Southern Africa” to support the liberation struggles of our brothers and sisters in Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (Azania). “The Chains of Apartheid” debuted at the E. J. Roye Building Auditorium in December 1977.

During that epoch of Liberian history, most Liberians were ignorant about the plight of Africans under colonial rule and they did not clearly understand why President Tolbert was raising funds to support the liberation of our African brothers and sisters that were still under colonial rule. This was when and how we used the power of the arts to interpret the political ills of the Botha regime on the international stage. Consequently, DATI’s vivid portrayal on the global stage of atrocious acts of Apartheid regimes convinced Liberians and the international community that President Tolbert’s foreign policy supporting the total liberation of Africa was a just and worthwhile cause.

During the Sawyer interim period, I served briefly as Acting Deputy Minister for Culture and Tourism in 1992 and when I returned to private practice, I served as consultant and Dehkontee Artists Theatre served as an implementing agency with UNICEF-Liberia before my departure from Liberia. We promoted peace and national unity and reconciliation through live and radio drama series and organized a children’s peace theatre that toured various regions of Liberia under the control of warring factions.

Promoting Liberian Culture on the International Stage

As an institution devoted to preserving and promoting Liberian culture, we do not only carry out our mission domestically. We also do so internationally. The first recognition I received for my seminal literary and theatrical production (“The Chains of Apartheid”) was not national; it was international and the international recognition was from the Republic of Sierra Leone. I wrote, directed, acted in as main character and produced “The Chains of Apartheid” in 1977. In July 1978 Dehkontee Artists Theatre went on an international tour to Freetown Sierra Leone as guests of Fourah Bay College and its Chancellor, Dr. Wilfred Jones, our Chief Sponsor. The tour took place after a successful debut performance at the E.J. Roye Building in December of 1977 and after a weeklong and first Dehkontee Artists Theatre Drama Festival featuring several Gbaba plays at the Tubman Hall Auditorium on the University of Liberia Capitol Hill Campus in Monrovia.

Our original itinerary included performances at Fourah Bay College and Freetown City Hall but after news of our first performance at Fourah Bay College went viral, we received an invitation from Sierra Leone’s Acting President, First Vice President S. I. Koroma who was steering the affairs of state while President Siaka Stevens was attending an OAU meeting in Khourtum, Sudan. The then Acting President of Sierra Leone requested a State House performance of “The Chains of Apartheid” on Liberia’s Independence Day, July 26, 1978. The performance was not only for intended for the Acting President of Sierra Leone but for all members of the cabinet of the Sierra Leonean government and all diplomats accredited near Freetown! What an honor, with all of the local and international press corps present. I received my first BBC interview not in Monrovia but in Freetown, Sierra Leone 48 years ago!

First National Recognition and Executive Mansion Theatre Performances

Dehkontee Artists Theatre’s and my first national recognition were engineered by Liberia’s Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Joseph Morris. Ambassador Morris was among an array of diplomats who watched Dehkontee Artists Theatre’s first presidential and State House performance on Liberia’s Independence Day on July 26, 1978, at the State House in Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Morris was so awestruck that he immediately sent a telegram to President Tolbert, informing him a theatre group called Dehkontee Artists Theatre that consists of Liberian youths from the University of Liberia and led by a young Liberian playwright made a great cultural impact in Sierra Leone before an international audience.

And before we could say, “Jack Rabbit”, we weres informed by the University of Liberia postal service personnel that Dehkontee Artists Theatre had a Green Letter from the President’s Executive Mansion office.

It was “Speedy” (President Tolbert) inviting Dehkontee Artists Theatre, his “Precious Jewels”, to perform for him and First Lady Victoria David Tolbert, Speaker of the House of Representative, Honorable Richard Abrom Henries, Chief Justice James A. A. Pierre, and a few cabinet ministers and diplomats present that night. The performance took place at the Executive Mansion Theatre on October 28, 1978, a few months after our international tour and recognition from the government of Sierra Leone. During his closing remarks President Tolbert said: “Mr. Gbaba, I salute you for your ingenuity. You are one of my precious jewels” and the rest was history!

Our First Executive Mansion performance and national recognition was followed by another request from President Tolbert to entertain his guests during the state visit of the Ghanaian Head of State, General Fred Akkuffo. He was piloted to Liberia by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings. So, Jerry Rawlings and the visiting Ghanaian Head of State watched “The Chains of Apartheid” together before Flight-Lieutenant Rawlings overthrew General Akkuffo shortly after their return to Ghana.

The two presidential performances were followed by another request from Liberia’s Foreign Minister, H. E. Charles Cecil Dennis, Jr. He requested the performance be held at the Monrovia City Hall for all members of the diplomatic corps accredited near Monrovia, with the intent to produce “The Chains of Apartheid” at the OAU Summit which was scheduled in July 1979 but the performance did not occur due to tight security and protocol.

Back in the day there was mutual understanding, respect and collaboration between the Liberian Presidency and the youths of Liberia. The government realized the effectiveness of using the arts to communicate major government policies and this partly made it possible for some of the successes the Tolbert administration achieved.

Once again, on behalf of members of the Honorable Body of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. across the globe, we say “Malika”, Mr. President for the honor you bestowed upon your son. Please keep in touch. Your wish is our command.

Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D.

Liberian Playwright, Theatre Director & Executive Director

Dehkontee Artists theatre, Inc.

July 26, 2026

RABBI JOE GBABA LIBERIA INDEPENDENCE CONVERSATION

Dearly beloved, Happy 26 once again. As you can see from my photo I am still celebrating Liberia’s Independence in my Lone Star outfit to let the President and all Liberians know we are prepared to complete the mandate the Lord has given me to unite Liberians and help Liberians reconcile with one another. My mandate as a Playwright and scholar/artist also includes educating and entertaining Liberians and to help Liberians realize we are one people and one nation , indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The word “INDEPENDENCE” must not be used loosely within the confines of the Republic of Liberia without knowing it’s true meaning and how to use the word syntactically.

Simply put, “independence” means freedom and the ability to do things on your own. In my definition there are two requirements to be considered ‘independent’: 1. You must be free and 2. You must do things for yourself.

Therefore, when we critically analyze our ‘independence’ you will agree with me that while we may have the so-called ‘freedom’ to govern ourselves, the hard truth is that we don’t do things for ourselves: we have huge rich tropical rainforests, humus soil but we do not produce our staple diet (rice).

We have huge gold, diamond, silver, bauxite reserves and huge rubber plantations in Liberia, but the people and companies who dig them out of our grounds are not Liberian citizens and the companies through which our minerals and natural resources are raked out of Liberia are all foreigners and foreign companies. So we lack freedom to manage our own resources.

On the contrary, an ‘independent’ Liberia will put Liberia first. An independent Liberia will establish its own national companies to manage its own resources with QUALIFIED Liberians (not unskilled partisans) at the helm of leadership.

Happy Post 26, Rabbi Gbaba. July 27, 2027

179th Independence Day Message: One Liberia. One People. One Destiny.

As Liberia proudly commemorates 179 years of independence, the Dehkontee Artists Theatre Inc. (DATI) Liberia joins millions of Liberians at home and across the diaspora in celebrating our nation’s rich history, resilience, and enduring hope for a brighter future.‎ This Independence Day comes at a remarkable time in DATI’s journey. As we prepare to celebrate 50 years of dedicated service in 2027, we reflect with gratitude on nearly five decades of using theatre, culture, education, and peace-building as powerful tools to preserve Liberia’s identity and inspire generations of young people.

Our Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., has devoted more than fifty years to promoting Liberia’s cultural heritage, national unity, literature, and the performing arts. His lifelong commitment has earned national and international recognition, including the recent honor by His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., who conferred upon him Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander—a prestigious recognition of his extraordinary contributions to nation-building.

Although Dr. Gbaba was unable to attend the investiture ceremony in person due to his residence in the United States, DATI Liberia was honored to represent him through National Coordinator Statesman Meshach Sieh Elliot and Stateswoman Hawa Promise Guwor, DATI Dougbor Chapter Director, whose presence symbolized the organization’s unwavering commitment to advancing Dr. Gbaba’s vision.

Over the years, DATI has remained steadfast in promoting peace, cultural awareness, youth empowerment, leadership development, and national reconciliation. Through its peace festivals, educational initiatives, theatrical productions, cultural preservation programs, and community outreach, DATI continues to strengthen the bonds that unite Liberians regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation.

As our nation marks another Independence Day, DATI renews its commitment to working alongside government institutions, development partners, civil society, traditional leaders, and citizens in fostering a Liberia where peace, unity, creativity, and cultural pride flourish.‎‎On this historic occasion, we encourage every Liberian to embrace our diversity as our greatest strength, celebrate our shared heritage, and commit ourselves to building a nation where justice, opportunity, and peace are enjoyed by all.‎

Meanwhile, after 52 years of service all we are asking each of you to do is to kindly put aside your prejudice and wear your proud garment of patriotism as a Liberian or African or lover of the arts and purchase a DATI 50th Anniversary 2027 Souvenir Calendar.‎‎The calendar costs $50 and it is not just an ordinary calendar. It is a documentary of cultural performances and events produced by Rabbi Gbaba and Dehkontee Artists Theatre for the past 50 years, HALF A CENTURY!

DATI would like to complete the first phase of fundraiser and break grounds in February 2027 in Monrovia. Funds raised will go towards the purchase of land/site for the school of the performing and visual arts, to preserve and institutionalize Liberian culture. The DATI 50th Anniversary 2027 Souvenir Calendar will be ready for sale the first week of August and first come first served.

Please put in your order now by making payment through the payment methods listed on the flyer. If you live outside of PA, you may please provide your mailing address, phone number and name to whom your order should be posted when you make your payment. Our mailing address is:‎‎Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc.‎P. O. Box 143‎Clifton Heights, PA 19018‎Tel. (267) 973-1709 (Please text your name and information if you do not get an answer when you call. We will return your call).

Happy 179th Independence Anniversary, Liberia! ‎‎May God continue to bless the Republic of Liberia, guide its leaders with wisdom, and grant lasting peace and prosperity to our beloved nation.‎‎

DATI Liberia to Represent Rabbi Dr. Joe Gbaba as President Boakai Confers National Honor

Monrovia, Liberia – Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) Liberia has announced that its National Coordinator Statesman Meshach Sieh Elliot, and Stateswoman Hawa Promise Guwor, DATI Dougbor Chapter Director, will officially represent the organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Rabbi Dr. Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., during the national investiture ceremony where His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. will confer upon him Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander.

The prestigious national honor, which forms part of activities commemorating Liberia’s 179th Independence Day, recognizes Dr. Gbaba’s outstanding contributions to the preservation of Liberia’s cultural heritage, theatre, education, literature, peace-building, and national development. Although Dr. Gbaba was formally invited by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he respectfully informed the Government that he would be unable to attend the ceremony due to his residence in the United States and the short notice of the invitation.

In his absence, DATI Liberia National Coordinator Meshach Sieh Elliot and Montserrado ( DATI Dougbor Chapter ) Director Hawa Promise Guwor will proudly stand in solidarity with the organization’s founder during the historic occasion, joining his brother-in-law, Mr. Rameses A. Porte, Jr., to receive the honor on his behalf, celebrating the national recognition.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Meshach Sieh Elliot expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to represent Dr. Gbaba. “I am very excited to represent a Rabbi, cultural expert, mentor, role model, and an educator at the President’s Honoring Program. A special thanks to His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for recognizing the tireless efforts of Dr. Gbaba in preserving and promoting our Liberian culture. It is my sincere wish that His Excellency President Boakai will appoint Dr. Gbaba to serve in a key national role where his wealth of experience and passion for Liberia’s culture can further benefit our country.”

Mr. Elliot further conveyed the appreciation of the entire DATI family, extending heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for this distinguished recognition as the honor is not only for Dr. Gbaba but also for everyone who believes in preserving Liberia’s rich cultural heritage and promoting national unity through the performing arts.

Dr. Gbaba, whose career spans more than five decades, is regarded as one of Liberia’s foremost playwrights, theatre directors, educators, and cultural advocates. Through the establishment of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc., he has mentored generations of Liberian artists while championing cultural preservation, peacebuilding, and national reconciliation.

The conferment of the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander stands as one of Liberia’s highest national recognitions and affirms Dr. Gbaba’s enduring legacy as a cultural icon whose life’s work continues to inspire Liberians at home and abroad.

RABBI JOE GBABA Honored with Liberia’s Order of the Star of Africa by President Boakai

Monrovia, Liberia – Renowned Liberian playwright, theatre director, educator, and Executive Director of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., has been selected by His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. to receive one of Liberia’s prestigious national honors—the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander.

The honor was conveyed through an official communication dated July 8, 2026, signed by Chief of Protocol Ambassador Antoinette M. Wolo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The letter informed Dr. Gbaba that, as part of activities marking Liberia’s 179th Independence Day Celebration, President Boakai would confer the national distinction upon him during a ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Monrovia.

The correspondence also requested that Dr. Gbaba invite three guests to the ceremony and submit a copy of his biography to facilitate the preparation of the official citation recognizing his distinguished service to Liberia.In his response to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gbaba expressed profound appreciation to President Boakai for the recognition, describing the honor as both humbling and deeply meaningful.

Meanwhile, in his response to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gbaba expressed profound appreciation to President Boakai for the recognition, describing the honor as both humbling and deeply meaningful. “Please convey my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Excellency, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, for the honor and his thoughtfulness,” Dr. Gbaba wrote.However, Dr. Gbaba explained that he would be unable to attend the investiture ceremony because he currently resides in the United States of America and received the invitation on July 15, leaving insufficient time to make travel arrangements before the scheduled event.To ensure representation at the national ceremony, Dr. Gbaba designated his brother-in-law, Mr. Rameses A. Porte, Jr., to receive the honor on his behalf.

Dr. Gbaba is widely recognized as one of Liberia’s foremost cultural ambassadors. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has dedicated himself to preserving Liberia’s history, traditions, and cultural identity through theatre, education, literature, and peace advocacy. As the founder and Executive Director of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), he has mentored generations of young Liberian artists while promoting national unity, reconciliation, and cultural preservation both in Liberia and across the diaspora.

The Order of the Star of Africa is among Liberia’s highest national distinctions and is bestowed upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and distinguished service to the nation.The conferment of the Grade of Commander on Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr. stands as a national recognition of his enduring contributions to Liberia’s cultural development, education, and the preservation of the country’s rich artistic heritage.