“A world peace would always be impossible, but peace with yourself and others that you have differences with are the inner awareness of simple abundance.”
―Henry Johnson Jr,Liberian Son
You probably know by now, I am originally from Liberia. My family is Liberian and Nigerian. My mother's father was Nigerian, from the Igbo tribe but since both my parents are Liberian, I grew up in a Liberian household.
As everyone says about their home countries, I love Liberia, its culture, and everything it has to offer. Sadly, society doesn't always show the beauty of Liberia. When you think of Africa, you probably think of starving children and poverty but, that isn't all it is.
Liberia, like most African countries are beauties, with plenty to show from beautiful beaches to lively souls. So, today, I'm going to tell you guys a few things about the history and culture of this country.
History
The history of Liberia is an interesting one. The country has history traveling back to the 12th and 16th centuries but, its mostly known after it won its independence in 1847. After Liberia won its independence and America was dealing with the after effects of the civil war, America sent freed slaves to Liberia to live and start up their own society. From there on, Liberia had its ups and downs and one of those downs was the civil war in the 1990s. The civil war truly destroyed the country and separated a lot of families. My family was lucky enough to come to America and survive.
Since then, the country has improved and in 2005, it was the first African country to have. female president. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf truly turned the country around and now, Liberian youth living in America, are all working together to continue growing the country upward.
Language
The main language in Liberia is English but, there are also 16 indigenous languages. Everybody in Liberia belongs to a certain tribe and indigenous group and the two most popular ones are the Kpelle and Bassa tribes. My family comes from the Kpelle tribe, which is known as the original and oldest tribe in the country.
Religion
Religion is very important in Liberia and Christianity is known as the main religion. Islam has also grown in popularity and has a high percentage of the community. However, typical religion isn't the only practiced spirituality, some people believe in the supernatural, ancestral, and other forms of high divinity.
Media, Art & Pop Culture
Media is very important in the communities because of past events. From he war and outbreaks like ebola, the people take the news very seriously and love to be informed. In the capital; Monrovia, there are a ton of newspapers, radio stations and news programs. My father actually worked for a news radio station before he worked with the Liberian government. But, some people prefer online articles to any other form of news communication.
However, news isn't the only "entertainment" in the country. People love film and television and Liberia, like some other African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon, have their own production companies, where they make their own films. American pop culture (films and music) is also very popular.
Music is popular worldwide and is known as the heart and soul in a lot of cultures. Liberian music plays a big a role in West African music scene because its music is different and ranges on a wide scale. Drums is the most popular instrument is they are used for every single cermony, whether its sad or happy. You can also hear families drumming in their years.
Songs are sung in both English and whatever your tribal language is and songs are used for not just entertainment but also getting a message across. Religious music is very popular amongst the older generation and holds a lot of historical significance. Within the younger crowd, rap and hip-hop are at the top and Liberian rap is called HipCo.
Art is also a big part of our culture and being talented in a certain are is very common. A lot of people are very skilled in all types of art and design and put it to use. Some of the most popular crafts are mask making and wood carvings of human faces and everyday essentials. A lot of people create their work and sell it for extra income.
Clothing
The traditional clothing we wear is always bright and printed. Women wear wrap skirts or dresses called a "lappa" and head wraps. Men wear long designed shirts over trousers. Our fashion is similar to a lot of other African countries but that is because Africans love to dress up and look their best.
Heres a quick video if you want to see more!
Thats is all! I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something interesting! The worksheets below are about your family's heritage and where you come from. You can choose up to two worksheets to complete!
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