Kings and Queens of Liberia

King & Queens of Liberia Poster

King Zangar Kadesi– The successor of King Sar, who ran his capital from Little Bassa, near Edina Grand Bassa. One of the greatest allies to the early colony, Kadesi saved Edina from attack on June 10th, 1835 forces were stopped by Kadesi Warriors Kadesi also aided the Bassa Cove colony in erraticating  the slave trade. Kadesi was succeeded by popular Bassa chief Bob Gray.

Queen Famata Bendu Sandamani– They called her Sandemani, Queen Famata Bendu, a name that echoed with the power of the Sande society itself. But royalty wasn’t handed to her, no sir! She earned it. They called her “Taradogba” too, meaning “grave” in the Gola tongue, a reminder that she wasn’t no giggling flower.

Famata Bendu, wife of King Arma, the favorite one, mind you. But fate, that jester with a cruel streak, snatched her king on the battlefield. Some might crumble, weep into their robes. But Famata Bendu? She straightened her back, fire in her eyes. They say she took that Gawula throne, claimed it as hers by right, became ruler of the Vai people herself!

But a queen don’t rule alone! Famata Bendu, wise as she was strong, took King Al Haj, or Lahai of the Gallinas, as her husband. Together they brought forth Momolu Massaquoi, a leader in his own right. This sister wouldn’t be messed with!

But even the bravest warriors face setbacks. The Sofa warriors came, a storm of violence that swept through Vai lands. Famata Bendu, though she wouldn’t yield, wouldn’t bow, was forced to flee. And in 1891, that warrior queen, that leader, that woman who defied the odds, drew her last breath.

Chief Yellow Will

Momolu Sao– Momolu Sao, a name whispered through the Liberian winds, a man whose power echoed from Bopolu to the farthest reaches of western Liberia. Son of Sao Boso, he wasn’t content to follow in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he carved his own path, establishing the town of Totokwele, a testament to his ambition and leadership.

Blood ties bound him to Fan Kwekwe, their mothers sharing the rich heritage of the Gola people. But Momolu Sao wasn’t just defined by lineage. He was a force in his own right. From the early 1860s until his final breath, his influence held sway over a vast swathe of western Liberia.

Even the pioneering spirits who ventured into the unknown, like Benjamin J.K. Anderson and Edward Wilmot Blyden, crossed paths with Momolu Sao. He wasn’t just a ruler, he was a landmark, a figure etched into the Liberian story. History offers little detail about his reign, but his legacy speaks volumes. He was a leader, an innovator, a man who carved his own destiny in the heart of Liberia.

King Sao Boso

Simlah Ballah– also known as (Bill Williams), a Grebo man with the powerful name of Ballah, wasn’t your average tribesman. He carried the weight of two worlds on his shoulders. A member of the Nyomowe section, he spoke the colonizer’s tongue with the fluency of a native. This gift made him King Freeman’s voice, a bridge between the established Grebo people and the encroaching Maryland State Colonization Society.

Ballah wasn’t confined to Cape Palmas. He walked the coastal path, a living map, and by the early 1830s, his presence was known even in Monrovia. But his true test came in 1836. Dr. James Hall, the Society’s agent, arrived with whispers of a new settlement. Ballah, ever the diplomat, crossed the ocean with Hall, his voice carrying King Freeman’s message – a message of cautious acceptance for these new arrivals.

Back in Baltimore, Ballah stood before the Society’s board, a man of two cultures advocating for a fragile peace. He wasn’t just a translator, he was a negotiator, paving the way for more settlers with the blessing (if not the full enthusiasm) of the Cape Palmas leadership.

But Ballah’s role didn’t end there. He became the conduit, carrying back the Society’s “Code of Laws,” a document that would reshape the landscape of Cape Palmas. He ensured understanding, navigated the inevitable friction that arose between the established Grebo community and the newcomers.

Fate, however, dealt a harsh hand. In 1860, Yellow Will, the Grebo chief, passed away. Ballah ascended, but his leadership was a double-edged sword. The Grebo people, his own kin, harbored resentment, while the settlers remained wary. This weight of expectation, this struggle to bridge two divergent worlds, must have been a heavy burden to bear.

Ballah’s reign ended in 1865, his life a testament to the complexities of cultural exchange. He wasn’t a king, nor a colonizer, but a man caught in the in-between, a necessary bridge in a time of flux.

Peter Zulu Duma

N’Damba– N’Damba, a woman of the Kissi people from Liberia’s northwestern frontier. History whispers her name, but offers little else. Yet, her legacy is tragically intertwined with the soul-crushing trade of human chattel.

Her son, James Cleveland, a product of a union between N’Damba and an English merchant, became a symbol of the corrupting influence of colonialism. He straddled two worlds, wielding his African and European heritage not for unity, but for exploitation. 

Cleveland rose to notoriety as a ruthless Westernized slaver, preying on the very people he called kin.  He and his “allies” across the sea orchestrated the brutal export of West Africans to the Americas, their greed fueled by a warped sense of progress.

N’Damba, the forgotten mother, stands as a stark reminder of the insidious nature of colonialism. It wasn’t just about stolen resources and subjugated lands; it fractured families and twisted identities. James Cleveland, a man consumed by avarice, became a tool of this oppression, forever staining his mother’s legacy with the blood of his people.

Turmeric for phlegm in the throat

Turmeric for phlegm in the throat

Turmeric contains curcumin, a component with powerful antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Turmeric root is very effective in eliminating mucus, bacteria and phlegm.

🥣 Product composition:

– 1 cup of warm water;
– ½ teaspoon of salt;
– 1 teaspoon of turmeric

🍵 Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients and gargle several times a day for a few minutes. This simple method will quickly remove phlegm and cure any respiratory infection.

Ksmarala Dyuu™ Tekpwfari Starkraft Masktape Intro

“בית הכוכבים”

The knowledge is not set down explicitly in books but is embodied in the מסכה itself. In essence מסכה is in a nature of a divine rite meant to instill in the beholder an understanding of creation and creative power. The face of the מסכה is that of Ancestral Man and Woman. Man before slavery and the perfected man/ woman. One who has regained his cosmic consciousness through his or her own method…

Celestial Mask Intelligence @Tekpwfari Stix El Ra

Ksmarala Dyuu™ Tekpwfari Starkraft Masktape Intro

Sources:

Cissé, Youssouf. “Sogo Sigi: Une esthétique des masques Dogon.” (2008).

Griaule, Marcel. “Conversations with Ogotemmeli: An Introduction to Dogon Religious Ideas.” (1965).

Davis, Stephen. “Reggae Bloodlines: In Search of the Music and Culture.” (1978). Chapter 8: “Burning Spear: The Fire Still Burns.”

Enhancing Development in Liberia

“The failure to integrate indigenous knowledge into the Western educational system adopted in Liberia denies Liberians a potentially expansive knowledge base for solving problems. Indigenous methods of child rearing and socialization, for example, are not sufficiently informing academic studies and training programs relevant to nurturing children; nor has the study of indigenous institutions of governance been incorporated into the study of political science or public administration. As a result, the impact of indigenous patterns of authority relations on the nurturing of children as citizens is hardly ever considered as part of the intellectual inquiry of institutions of learning. The fact that the very concept of citizenship varies from ethnic community to ethnic community has implications for the conception of Liberian citizenship generally. These have not been fully explored. Thus, there is a compelling need to provide a more organized and systematic explanation of local knowledge and practices and to incorporate these into the framework of an appropriate educational and training program if the educational system of Liberia is to serve as an effective agent in nurturing citizens and generating knowledge to enhance development.”

Excerpt from “Beyond Plunder” by Dr. Amos C. Sawyer

Interim President of the Republic of Liberia

Camarilla Masktape Volume II

Gúlá Má Sálè

Gúlá Má Sálè
Follow this Masktape as it delves into development with the Camarilla Mask™ curator Tékpwfárí Stix El Rá. Consider the changes happening internationally as well as within the Afrotropical region concerning West African Mask most expecially from Liberia and Sierra Leone, respectively.

Research Materials provided by the

aaro.mil
Kofi Annan Foundation
Star and Shield Clothing
Tim Butcher Podcast
University of Liberia.
Encyclopedia of the 16 Tribes®

Alkebu-lan: If Africa Was Never Colonized By Europe

The map – upside down, to skew our traditional eurocentric point of view – shows an Africa dominated by Islamic states, and native kingdoms and federations. All have at least some basis in history, linguistics or ethnography. None of their borders is concurrent with any of the straight lines imposed on the continent by European powers, during the 1884-85 Berlin Conference and in the subsequent Scramble for Africa. By 1914, Europeans controlled 90% of Africa’s land mass. Only the Abyssinian Empire (modern-day Ethiopia) and Liberia (founded in 1847 as a haven for freed African-American slaves) remained independent.

Alkebu-lan: If Africa Was Never Colonized By Europe

Afrotropical CLEAN COUGH SYRUP Recipe!

Almost all cough syrups at the grocery store are full of artificial of refined sugars, preservatives, and dyes. with lots of sickness on the rise right now and it being winter, this is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich concoction that can help alleviate coughs with real ingredients! ⠀

What you’ll need:

-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper ⠀
-1/2 tsp. grated ginger ⠀
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon ⠀
-3 tbsp. raw honey ⠀
-2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar ⠀
-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice ⠀
-1/2 cup water ⠀

Instructions:

1. Grate the ginger ⠀
2. Add all of the ingredients into a 12 oz. glass jar, seal it and shake it to mix together well. ⠀
3. Store the jar in the refrigerator for up to a week in a sealed container. ⠀
4. Take 1 tsp. at a time and repeat every couple of hours! ⠀