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Rabbi Gbaba’s “Golden Jubilee (50th Anniversary) Address to Liberians and the World: Preserving, Preaching, & Promoting the Culture of Liberia Globally; A 50-Year Journey”
TOP STORIES
Salutations
Your Excellency, George Manneh Weah, outgoing President of Liberia, and Your Excellency
Joseph Nyumah Boikai, President-elect of Liberia, and Vice-President-elect, Jeremiah Kpan
Koung, the President-Pro Tempore and Members of the Liberian Senate, the Speaker and
Honorable Members of the House of Representatives, Your Honor Madam Chief Justice,
Associate Justices, and members of the Judiciary, members of the cabinet, diplomatic corps and
international community, fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen.
Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D. To fully understand the success of our celebrity, one has to research the family he originates from,
Mrs. Margaret Tiplah-Mona Karpeh-Koffa, Dr. Gbaba’s first school teacher A Winding Road and Uphill Battle to Achieve Education and Success. After the completion of the first grade, Tomoonh-Garlodeyh enrolled at Daniel E. Howard
At Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), our journey is rich with culture, creativity, and community impact.
At Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), we understand that many communities face challenges and changes that affect their cultural expression and education. Through our programs and initiatives, we work to preserve, restore, and empower communities while celebrating their unique heritage.
Representatives; left to right ( Statesman Meshach Sieh Elliott, Stateswoman Hawa Gowah and Mr. Rameses A. Porte, Jr)
MONROVIA, LIBERIA — August 15, 2026: Youth organizations and young people from across Liberia have expressed appreciation to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., and the Government of Liberia for conferring Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander on renowned cultural icon, educator, playwright and peace advocate Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr.
In a letter of appreciation, the youth described the recognition as a well-deserved honor for Dr. Gbaba’s more than five decades of service to Liberia through theatre, education, cultural preservation, peace-building and the promotion of national unity. The youth groups said the recognition should inspire a new generation of Liberians to embrace their culture, develop their talents and contribute meaningfully to national development.
They also welcomed Dr. Gbaba and Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI)’s continued interest in working with the Government of Liberia on initiatives focused on national unity, cultural preservation, education, tourism and youth development. The letter concluded with a call for greater collaboration among the Government of Liberia, youth organizations and cultural institutions to preserve Liberia’s identity and build a more united nation.
Appreciation Letter
The appreciation letter was signed by representatives of DATI, youth organizations and regional leadership, including Victor D. Quitee, Media and Communication Officer, DATI Liberia; Hawa Promise Guwor, Director, DATI Dougbor Chapter; Philomena M. Arkue, Director, DATI Gbenelue Chapter; Sagee Weah, Director, DATI River Gee Chapter; Jerry S. Kandakai, Director, DATI Margibi Chapter.
Others are: Melvin T. Weah, President, Maryland County Youth Association; Adam K. Chea, President, Grand Kru Youth Association; Price Natu Weadatu, President, Association of River Gee Youth; Jeremiah Vilizu, Coordinator, Region 1, Federation of Liberian Youth; Daniel M. Seatine, Regional Director, Southeastern Region, DATI; Henry F. Tamba, Regional Director, Southcentral, Northern and Western Region, DATI; and Meshach Sieh Elliott, National Coordinator, DATI Liberia.
Youth leaders and DATI members signatures
For his part, Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba expressed heartfelt appreciation to progressive youth organizations across Liberia, particularly young people from Maryland, Grand Kru, Margibi, River Gee and Liberia at large as well as various DATI chapters, for what he described as their foresight, courage and commitment to progress and justice and publicly supporting and acknowledging President Boakai for conferring the national honor upon him.
The Rabbi Dr. Joe Gbaba
He said the advocacy of Liberia’s youth helped draw attention to his 52 years of service dedicated to preserving Liberia’s history, culture and shared heritage while promoting peace, national unity and youth development. The Rabbi Gbaba encouraged young Liberians to remain connected to their ancestral heritage and cultural traditions, emphasizing that a strong understanding of Liberia’s identity is essential to building a peaceful and prosperous nation.
He further expressed concern about barriers that prevent meaningful youth-development initiatives from reaching policymakers, particularly proposals designed to create jobs, skills training and peace-building opportunities for Liberian youth thus expressing hope that President Boakai will consider DATI’s proposal to create employment and training opportunities for young Liberians while strengthening the country’s peace-building and reconciliation efforts.
Meanwhile, the youth organizations emphasized that honoring Dr. Gbaba is not only a recognition of his past service, but also a call to invest in Liberia’s young people, culture and future outlining that the recognition should serve as an opportunity for Liberia to place greater emphasis on its cultural heritage, empower young people and build stronger partnerships between government, youth and cultural institutions.
Through it all God has been my strength, my very present help in times of peace and troubles and he made it possible for me to live to see this day when the LAMCO Family Reunion organization is giving me my flowers while I still have breath. It is also a plus to the Boikai administration for the national recognition as well and thanks to the youth of Liberia who have so much trust and faith in me as their father and mentor.
Today, our gathering is about a community that resided in Nimba County and we cannot celebrate LAMCO without celebrating the county and people in whose land we lived, attended school and worked. As for me and my household, we have a unique Nimba story and inheritance that I would like to share with you.
My Nimba Connections and Heritage
My connection with Nimba County is deeply rooted in traditional Liberian history. The people of Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties have been neighbors and in-laws for centuries, long before the modern Republic of Liberia was established. Through interethnic marriages, we have children born through the unions of Krahn, Mahn, and Dahn parents, such as the Tuazamas, Towehs, etc. And, for the record, my Nimba relatives and friends call me “Saye Tomah Gbaba.”
Here, my name is blended with Mahn, Dahn, and Krahn backgrounds. I am named Saye because I am first born male in my family (even though technically speaking it is a name given to the first born of a woman, not the man). The name “Tomah” I inherited from my father. It was bestowed upon my father at birth more than a century ago by a Dahn chief who was friends with my grandfather named Keh-Gbaba, a descendant of the Nien Dynasty of Krahn kings and descendant of Yarlee-Gbenh, founder of Zwedru City, the capital city of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia.
According to family history, when my father was born over a century ago, the Dahn chief who lived in Tappita traveled on foot with his entourage for miles, bringing gifts to congratulate my grandfather and to attend the naming ceremony. When the Dahn chief arrived and was warmly welcomed, he told my grandfather, “I name our son Tomah. In our dialect, “Tomah” means “a successor”. When I die, he will take my place.” That’s how my father got his Gio/Dahn name. Over the years, the Krahn people could not pronounce “Tomah” as it is pronounced in the Dahn language. Thus, they ended up mispronouncing Tomah as “Tomoonh”.
Beware of the Falsehoods of Liberian Politicians and Their Divide and Rule Tactics
I know for you young Liberians, you might be wondering, how come a Dahn chief named a Krahn prince with a Dahn name. If the people of Nimba and Grand Gededh are supposed to be “enemies” then how come a Dahn chief traveled hundreds of miles by foot to celebrate the birth of a Krahn prince? If the people of Nimba and Grand Gedeh are archenemies as the Liberian press and politicians portray then why are so many Dahn and Mahn people residing in Grand Gedeh and intermarried even after a so-called bloody civil war that claimed the lives of a quarter million Liberians?
I am sharing this story with you because the story you have been told about the people of Grand Gedeh and Nimba being “enemies” is FALSE. It is a distortion of the truth and it is a “divide and rule” tactic that the True Whig Party government used for more than a century to divide and rule Liberians by putting one ethnic group against the other to maintain power for more than 133 years.
My Childhood Experience as a Resident of Nimba County
I was five years old when my parents relocated to Gbapa, Nimba County during the diamond rush in the late 50s and early 1960s. Gbapa back in the day was a small diamond mining settlement along the way to Yekepa, Cassava Farm and Camp Four and New Yekepa where I staged my first drama, “Life Story of Kekula” 52 years ago.
My parents were engaged in the diamond mining business. My stepfather (Thomas Sackor) worked at a diamond creek in Gbapa and my mother, Princess Gbeh-Nyennonh-Garh Gaye, ran her “cold bowl” shop.
There were no public schools in Gbapa those days, so my parents sent me to live with a Mandingo friend of theirs and a diamond broker named Lassana Kamara who lived in Sanniquillie to attend St. Mary’s Catholic Mission School. That was how I was privileged to see Presidents William V. S. Tubman, Osage Fu Kwame Nkrumah, and Papa Sekou Toure, when they attended the Sanniquillie Conference in 1959!
My Mandingo adopted father (Lassana Kamara) was married to a Mandingo lady named Ma Fanta and another Fula lady whose name I do not recall. He lived right up the hill opposite the Sanniquillie Market before you descend the hill where the Dunbar Pond is and before you go past St. Mary’s campus. My father Lassana Kamara did not have any child at that time so he took me with him everywhere he went to transact his diamond business. We traveled to Bahn and Seclepea and other regions of Nimba that I cannot recall. I even learned how to speak Mandingo at one point in time and I enjoyed the morning breakfast called “monnee”. It is a kind of cereal meal—very nice!
After several years in Gbapa, my parents moved back to Monrovia when I turned nine. The second time around when I returned to Nimba, I was enrolled at Archbishop Carroll High School as a sophomore student in 1972. For three years, I studied under the rigid and disciplinary guidance of English and Irish Christian Brothers, studied Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Rousseau, Emerson, you name it. Suddenly, in my senior year something happened that changed my life forever. I had a vision in which the Lord inspired me to write the “Life Story of Kekula” which today turned out to be a story about myself. What an irony.
“Life Story of Kekula” Starring Bill Ross, III and Rosaline Rogers
As you are aware, Archbishop Carroll High School those days was an all-boys school and so you might wonder how I recruited girls to participate and where did the rehearsals take place. As a young man, I carried myself responsibly. I founded a Christian organization on campus called Creating Friendship in Christ (CFC). I was the Right Hand Brother and Robert Freeman, Jr. was Left Hand Brother and Bill Ross, Henrique Zobon Scott, Harrison Yaidoo, Harry Tucker were Honorable Brothers.
We approached the parents and assured them that their daughters would be safe when they came on Carroll High Campus in Grassfield and I made sure those hot Carroll High Cobras did not mess around my girls. Mr. Sirleaf, a famous, loving, kind bus driver brought the girls on campus for rehearsals and took them back home safely.
On the day when we performed “Life Story of Kekula” in October 1974, the Open Door Theatre was full to capacity! Among some of the prominent LAMCO personalities who attended the debut performance of “Libe Story of Kekula were Honorable Charles B. Roberts, Administrative Manager, Honorable John G. Rancy, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Varsay Sirleaf, Magistrate James Harris, Sr., and my surrogate mother, Mrs. Dolly McCritty Massaquoi.
Members of the cast included Robert Freeman, Jr., Caleb Domah, Henrique Scott, Winston Conteh, Joseph Zig Collins, Jr., Stephen Daniels, Jr., the Cole Sisters, Roseline Rogers, Geleh Massaquoi, Bill Ross, III, Kerper Dwanyen, Leon Padmore, Patrick Forforh, Edsel Deshields, Joseph E. Deshields, Charles Samuels, Africanus Richardson, Patrick Ajavon, Harrison Yaidoo, Harry Nagbe Tucker, Jarloth Wolo, Jr., Allen Cassell, Samuel Brownell, Jr., etc. There were members of the international community in the house as well.
Interestingly, the elders who watched the show could not believe what they saw. Honorable Charles B. Roberts laughed his heart out in the balcony and when the show was over, he came down to congratulate me. He gave me my first pay check as a playwright, Five Hundred Untied States Dollars! Mommy Dolly wrote me a note congratulating me and foreseeing my becoming “Liberia’s Shakespeare”, and Magistrate Harris, blessed me and urged me to “keep up the good work.”
“Life Story of Kekula” was a documentary about national integration and unity, but it was a comedy and through the comic scenes I presented a narrative about creating national unity through interethnic marriage.
Today, I am a living witness to what I preached 52 years ago. Princess Ariminta, my wife, is a member of the Porte Family from Crozierville and I am a descendant of Krahn kings from Grand Gedeh County. My wife is the new “Sussie” and I am new “Kekula” and our intermarriage is blessed with five children and fifteen grandchildren, some of whom are present today.
Our children and all Liberians born of interethnic marriages and their offspring constitute what I would term the “core lineage” of the new Liberian society. 52 years ago, our society was segregated on tribal lines or class system but today we are a more blended and integrated society.
A Big ‘Thank You’ to My Nimba Parents, Guardians and Friends
My success in Nimba County was not attributed to only my schoolmates, professors, and my parents. There were many families that opened the doors of their homes to me as a student whose parents were from Grand Gedeh. My Mandingo father Lassana Kamara, Ma Fanta, Mommy Dolly McCritty Massaquoi, my other parents included Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Daniels, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Zig Collins, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Cassell, Mr. and Mrs. David Dwanyen, Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Farngalo, my friends Deborah Cranshaw, Ophelia Dolo, Margaret Dookie, and my brothers James Zota (aka Dennis), Patrick Suah, Patrick Forforh, Caleb Domah, George Farngalo, George Dahn, Nathaniel Biah, George Jacobs, Prince Tebbs, and LAMCO Family Union Organization.
What a blessing to be in your midst!
I love you.
Rabbi Prince “Saye Tomah” Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D. August 8, 2026
By: Victor D. Quitee ( DATI Media and Communication Officer)
LIBERIA – Just weeks after being conferred with Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander by His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., renowned Liberian playwright, theatre director, educator, and cultural icon Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr. is set to receive yet another prestigious recognition—this time from the former residents of LAMCO Yekepa during the LAMCO Family Reunion on Saturday 8th, August 2026.
The recognition celebrates Dr. Gbaba’s outstanding contributions to Liberia’s cultural heritage and pays tribute to the community where his remarkable journey in theatre first began more than five decades ago.
The recognition and honoring ceremony is being hosted by former residents of LAMCO Yekepa, the community where Dr. Gbaba’s theatre career began. It was in Yekepa, while attending Archbishop Carroll High School, that he wrote, directed, produced, and acted in his first stage play, Life Story of Kekula, which premiered at the Open Door Theatre in 1974. The honor is especially meaningful because it comes from members of his very first audience—individuals who witnessed and encouraged the beginning of a journey that has now spanned 52 years of dedicated service to Liberia through theatre, education, cultural preservation, and peacebuilding.
The LAMCO Family Reunion recognition comes on the heels of another historic milestone. During Liberia’s 179th Independence Day celebrations, His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. conferred upon Dr. Gbaba Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander, one of the Republic’s highest national honors, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the preservation of Liberian culture, education, literature, and national development.
Together, the two honors represent both national recognition and community appreciation—one bestowed by the Republic of Liberia and the other by the very people who first witnessed and encouraged the birth of his life’s calling.
Describing the significance of the moment, Dr. Gbaba said the recognition extends beyond a personal achievement. “This occasion signals a national reawakening. It is a symbol of my calling to unite all Liberians across every spectrum of our national life through arts, culture, education, and peace-building. This honor belongs to every Liberian who believes in national unity, reconciliation, and the preservation of our cultural heritage.”
Dr. Gbaba also extends heartfelt appreciation to the LAMCO Family Reunion Organization and the former residents of LAMCO Yekepa for recognizing his lifelong service. “I sincerely thank the LAMCO Family Reunion Organization and the former residents of LAMCO Yekepa for this distinguished honor. It means a great deal to my mission of promoting peace, national unity, and preserving Liberia’s cultural heritage. To be recognized by those who first believed in my work more than five decades ago is both humbling and inspiring” also reaffirming his willingness to collaborate with the Government of Liberia in advancing national initiatives focused on rebuilding the country’s cultural foundation.
According to him, his priority moving forward will be to support efforts aimed at:
1. Promoting National Unity by using theatre, education, and the performing arts to bridge ethnic, political, religious, and social divides.
2. Revamping Liberia’s Cultural Activities by preserving and promoting both Indigenous and Settlers’ traditions, including Liberian languages, history, music, dance, literature, customs, and cultural heritage, while advancing the establishment of Liberia’s first School of Performing and Visual Arts through Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI).
As part of the Golden Jubilee celebration, DATI has launched a fundraising campaign to construct Liberia’s first School of Performing and Visual Arts, an institution envisioned to preserve and institutionalize Liberian culture while training future generations of artists, educators, researchers, and cultural ambassadors.
The LAMCO Family Reunion honor is expected to bring together former residents of Yekepa, classmates, friends, and admirers to celebrate the legacy of a man whose life’s work has inspired generations and whose vision continues to shape Liberia’s cultural identity.
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.”
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
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
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.
