Mr. President, Ba Thompson
DahnSaw, Mrs. Vice President, Ne Evita Bestman,
Mr. Secretary General Ba Victor B. Smith, Mr.
Treasurer, Ba Arthur Garbla, Ms. Financial
Secretary, Ne Mai Carter, Chairman of the Board,
Ba Walter Greenfield, Mr. Co-Chairman of the
Board, Ba. Ernest Simmons, Mr. Chaplain, Ba M.
Dorgbor, Ms. National Queen, Ne Edna Tucker,
UNIBOA chartered chapter presidents of North
Jersey - Newark, South Jersey - Trenton, New
York - Brooklyn, Minnesota - Minneapolis, Rhode
Island - Providence, Washington, D.C, Georgia -
Atlanta, North Carolina - Charlotte,
Pennsylvania - Philadelphia , Michigan -
Detroit, Texas - Austin, Ba Ramsey B. Zeon,
Convention Chairperson, Ba Robert A. Garguah,
Convention Coordinator, Ba Calvin Bropleh,
Convention Coordinator, distinguished quests,
mes amigos, madames et messieurs, my fellow
Bassa and Liberians, ladies and gentlemen.
First, let me thank the God of our
forefathers and foremothers by saying m po
Gedepohoh zuo-bahn-bahn. I also want to thank
God very much for everyone’s safe journey and
assembly in this great city of Atlanta for the
14th Annual Convention of the United Bassa
Organization in the Americas (UNIBOA). As Bassa
people, or as descendants and friends of Bassa
people, we have come this far by faith (hwodo
kon-dede) in the Almighty God (Dido Gedepohoh)
of our parentage, the Creator of creation. It is
my wish to share with you few parables and
conventional aphorism from the Bassa culture,
which clearly indicate that each of us in this
life has only two choices.
We have the choice to choose to do good to
every stranger we meet, or we can choose to do
bad to every stranger we meet. And the choice is
entirely ours as to how we decide to treat a
stranger, but we must always remember that a
stranger could be anyone or anything. The
stranger could be an angel with a specific
message for us, or an evil person desiring to do
us harm. But whatever the case, we stand to earn
or lose a person’s respect depending on how we
first interacted with that person or stranger.
So in Bassa traditions, we are taught to treat a
stranger with respect because we can never tell
in advance if the stranger is a bearer of good
fortune or a bearer of bad omen.
In Bassa culture and tradition, we have
several parables to drive home the point that
courtesy to strangers is always the right thing
to do. For this reason a Bassa elder would
advise his son or daughter in this manner: “if
you cook yourself in a cup, no one would care to
find a cooking spoon to dish you out because the
only ideal instrument necessary to dish you out
would be a piece of bamboo (stick). But if you
behave like a chicken and begin to scratch from
the door or cleave to your root, no one could
ever dish you out with a piece of stick.” Thus,
Bassa parable, “Sooh zao gbo win baah,” means,
in essence, that one must never depart from
one’s root (in this case our Bassa root).
At this point, I must admit that it is a pity
that many of us know little or nothing about the
language, customs, and traditions of the ethnic
group to which we were born. And it doesn’t
matter if you were born in the United States,
Germany, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
Great Britain, or other countries in this world.
Once a Bassa, you will always be a Bassa whether
you like it or not. Neither you nor your parents
asked to be born into the Bassa ethnic group, so
you have got nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t
ever deny your Bassa heritage or your Liberian
heritage, even if you were born outside Liberia,
or you decided to naturalize in other countries
as a result of circumstances unique to you.
Those circumstances may have been necessary to
improve your growth and development, but those
circumstances did not change your Bassa heritage
or your Liberian heritage. You will always be a
Bassa man, woman, or child, and you will always
be a Liberian man, woman or child. And if you
think I am joking, just try to commit a serious
criminal offence here in the U.S., you will be
on your way back to Liberia in the next 24 hours
even if you were a naturalized U.S. citizen
(Liberian-American).
Many of us are wrapped up in the
“receivership end” or “step-child position”, so
cherished by our nation. We can learn a lot from
the Jews, Chinese, Koreans and other Asian
ethnic groups who are making use of what America
has to offer. There are Chinatowns all over
America. There are Jewish schools, universities,
hospitals, congregation halls, and business
associations all over America. They are
Americans, too but they do not lose appreciation
for the cultural values dearest to them-those
spiritual and social practices that has
sustained them through the centuries. They have
managed to keep what is dearest to them. As a
result, they can tell their own stories with
fanfare.
My presentation here tonight is in no way
intended to chip away at your citizenship
responsibilities in this country. I am only want
to reminding you that regardless of whatever you
become in this world, the place you were born
and the heritage to which you belong will always
be part and parcel of your makeup. So for those
of you like me who still have much to learn
about your Bassa culture, tradition and
language. I can tell you that it is not late for
you to learn about Bassa heritage. In fact, you
have shown your desire to do just that by
affiliating with UNIBOA. In addition, your next
step is for you to learn how to speak Bassa,
even if your Bassa expressions seem incorrect at
first, because your Bassa heritage and your
Liberian heritage will always be a part of you.
As for me, I want you to know that I love my
Bassa culture and tradition. In fact, I love to
socialize with my Bassa ethnic family—the Belle,
Dei, Grebo, Kru (Klao) and Krahn people. I was
born a Bassa child, and I cherish the Bassa
language and people. The first language that I
heard on this earth was Bassa. The first words
of praise to God on my arrival on earth were
Bassa. When I began learning at my mother’s
knees, my language of instruction was Bassa.
Therefore, regardless of my current residence,
education, or social status, I intend to remain
a Bassa man irrespective of the consequences, if
any. Bassa owes me nothing but I owe Bassa and
Liberia a lot. I was taught in the powerful
cultural institution (Poro University) about
high moral character, humanism, culture,
governance, nature, and love. I was taught the
Bassa philosophy of “chin-m- ke- chin” or “live,
let’s live” long before my exposure to western
civilization. And when the time comes for me to
appear before the Almighty Creator of the Bassa
people, I want to answer about my deeds on this
earth on that day, if the God chooses to see me,
in my mother tongue, which is Bassa.
In this regard, I want you to know that my
speech here today is not about the importance of
the Bassa Language (our mother tongue),
therefore, I will table the topic for now, and
wait on another occasion like this one to talk
to you in details about the richness of our
language. Notwithstanding, I am reminded of the
parable our people usually use to drive their
point home: “Don’t throw the cutlass behind the
snake after it has passed.” By this I mean, I
want you and the world to know how I feel about
my Bassa heritage and my responsibility to my
people. I do not want to “roast the rat with
intestine intact” or as we will say in Bassa,
“Be ni sa wood ke o ni ede,” which means, “If
the intestine remains in the rat, it will not
get done properly.” In other words, if you want
to enjoy roasted rat meat, you must remove the
intestine before roasting the rat.
By now I hope you have gotten the point why
Bassa people are keen on using proverbs to
provide moral guidance to the youth. In fact,
the Bassa people employ proverbs to touch on
every facet of life, which includes but not
limited to childbearing, death, dreaming,
hunting, wealth, curse, poverty, health,
sickness, joy, sorrow, marriage, farming,
eating, fishing, building, trading, healing,
cooking, walking, sleeping, childrearing,
training, and a host of other things. Moreover,
the morale of the rat proverb is that those who
select to roast a rat with the intestine intact,
lack basic knowledge of accountability. A good
example is our beloved country! Today in
Liberia, we are having serious problems due to
the lack of good governance and accountability.
Some of us do not know who we are, and on the
other hand are afraid to know – much more,
accept who we are. For instance, if we took the
intestine from the rat before roasting it, we
might enjoy the roasted rat meat in the same way
we might enjoy our country if we accept to be
who we are. In other words, we must donate our
time and resources to the development of Liberia
if we want a prosperous Liberia. Otherwise, we
will continue to have a half-done
(underdeveloped) Liberia for a long time.
Therefore, my people, whatever we do, we must
remember that it is the responsibility of the
current generation of Liberians to build a great
nation for the next generation of Liberians.
It is within this context that I have decided
to talk to you this evening on the topic: “The
Role of the Bassa in Reshaping Liberia.” The
truth of the matter is that the greatness of a
nation begins with its people, especially when
they are bond to each other like one is attached
to his umbilical cord. It is the same way, a
people must be bonded their nation. In other
words, the citizens within a nation cannot be
united as one people if the they do know their
history, do not know who they are, and do not
appreciate their culture. In fact, the people of
a great nation are people with wisdom, high
moral character, believed and committed to human
rights, justice, political freedom and building
a strong and peaceful nation.
In the history of the Bassa people, which
includes the Belle, Dei, Grebo, Kru and Krahn
kingdoms, there was powerful kinships and great
social interactions. These Bassa kingdoms were
great inter-ethnic and international trading
posts, with learned people and leaders who
fitted the pantheon of the gods, as well as
truth-seekers, artists, scientists, and
visionaries. This brings us to a crucial point
of my presentation. To begin, we must ask
ourselves these questions: What were the Bassa
and other indigenous people doing before the
pioneers came? What kind of social and political
system united these ethnic groups? I guess to
understand Bassa history, we have to examine
some of the issues in earnest because there are
lots of biases in the Liberian history they
taught us from grade school and to some extent
in college. The contributions made by our people
– the indigenous people were presented as if
they were insignificant; when in fact, the Bassa
people were and are still a great people, and
their contributions to the establishment of
Liberia were invaluable.
What I am attempting to impress upon you here
is that the Bassa, Kru (Klao), Dei, Grebo, Krahn
and Belle are not only kinsmen and women but
also blood-sisters and blood brothers as well.
Yes, the Bassa people and people of the other
Liberian ethnic groups cited migrated from the
same area, therefore, it is safe to say they are
one family. Thank God the griots have excellent
good memory of our people and the Djuankadyu,
the legend of the Bassa were able to narrate the
stories of how the Bassa, Belle, Grebo, Krahn
and Kru (Klao) all came from the kingdom of
Nyanyan (known as Nyanja, Nanja, pahn, or Nahn).
This kingdom was once located in the vicinity of
the east bank of the Cavalla River, near the
borders of modern day Ivory Coast. It was the
last place our people lived before moving to the
landmass of modern day Liberia at the dictate of
the leaders of Nyanyan.
In those days the land that became the
Liberian nation was a series of traditional
indigenous kingdoms whose people lived in
city-states. As such there was no single name
for these kingdoms, which were believed to have
covered more than 177,000 square miles. This
area was called by names. It was referred to by
to non-Africans as the Malaguatta Coast, Pepper
Coast or the Grains of Paradise. Before the
advent of Europeans the Grain Coast, which is
present-day Liberia consisted of various ethnic
kingdoms; they were: Bassa Kingdom; Belle
Kingdom, Gola Kingdom, Klao (Kru) Kingdom, Grebo
Kingdom; Krahn Kingdom, Mende Kingdom, Sapo
Kingdom, Kpelle Kingdom, Kissi Kingdom, Pleebo
Kingdom, Gbii Kingdom, Via Kingdom, Dei Kingdom,
Gio (Dan) Kingdom, Loma Kingdom, Mandingo
Kingdom, and the Maih (Mano) Kingdom.
These kingdoms became international trading
posts that were visited by the Phoenicians and
Egyptians as early as 600 B.C, and by the
Carthagians in 500 B.C. Europeans first set up
trading posts on this coast in the 14th century.
The Dutch historian Ofert Drapper provides ample
evidence that the Grain Coast was a peaceful
land whose people were well versed not only in
their own customs and traditions but also in
international trade. Drapper stated “that the
local populations enjoyed a high standard of
political and social organization and that their
institutions bare a strong resemblance to those
of what was then the Sudan, probably as a result
of contact with the North African Berbers who
had been one of the most advanced and powerful
nations in the world” (Drapper, O. A
Comprehensive and Real Descriptive of Africa,
1668 [Reprinted 1967]).
It is also safe to say that because of the
cordial relations and trading sophistication
practiced by the Bassa people and other ethnic
groups made it possible for the establishment of
a trading post instead of a permanent colony.
The trading interest up to the time attracted
the Portuguese, Dutch, and Normans to visit the
Grain Coast (Library of Black America, Book I,
H. A. Ploski, 1971). Similarly, we can gather
from the interaction between the Bassa people
and Europeans, Egyptians, and other foreigners
that the Bassa people had a system of civil
administration as well as a good system of
governance in place to have facilitated these
trade transactions. It is clear that when
“Little Bassa” existed, the United States of
America had not been founded, as evident by the
contact our people had with foreigners as far
back as 520 BC.
The Founding of Liberia has its
Origin in the Bassa Kingdom
According to Bassa oral history, the land on
which the pioneers built their first settlement
belonged to the Mamba Bassa who occupied the
area of Monrovia. The land was given to the
pioneers for settlement, which in line with the
Bassa tradition of being hospitable to
strangers. The Bassa people never sold their
land as some historians will have us to believe.
I told you earlier about Little Bassa, and how
the Bassa people traded with Phoenicians and
other outsiders. The story about the Bassa
people selling their land is untrue. Bassa
people greeted and treated these foreigners
well, and extended the same hospitality to the
pioneers. From here on, you do the math; from
520BC to 1822 A.D., the Bassa people did not
sell their land to the Egyptians, Portuguese,
Dutch, Normans, and the French during those many
years, so what motivated them to sell their land
to Jehudi Ashmun (1794-1828) and other agents of
the American Colonization Society (ACS) in 1821?
You need to ask yourself this question! I
content that this was not possible under normal
circumstances because the Bassa people and the
other ethnic groups at the time did not believe
in selling land. Land was a communal property,
which was distributed according to the custom
and tradition of the people.
Bassa King Zolu Duma (referred to as King
Peter in some Liberian history books) persuaded
his kinsmen to give a piece of land along Cape
Mesurado, near the mouth of the Junk river and
the adjacent island of Dozoa to the pioneers for
their free assembly before the cordial
relationship between the two groups went
downhill over land disputes. The land dispute is
attributed to attempts made by the ACS and their
benefactors to extend their land holdings beyond
Providence Island. In the initial conflict over
the “land grabbing” soon led to the conflict,
which resulted into the birth of a “divided
society” (the Liberian nation) that is today in
the state of comatose.
Just as the Bassa people welcomed the
Egyptians, Portuguese, Spanish, Normans, and
Dutch in years past with opened arms, they
welcomed the pioneers or settlers in similar
manner. In fact, Liberian historical books
acknowledged that the Bassa people and the other
ethnic groups warmly received the “pioneers.” As
a practice or custom, the Bassa people always
extend courtesy and respect to strangers for the
sake of love and fellowship. (See J. B. Webster,
The Growth of African Civilization, and A.A.
Boahen & H.O. Idawu, The Revolution Years West
Africa since 1800), (Nelson, Harold, 1985.)
If you can remember, we discussed earlier
that a stranger could be anyone or anything. In
the Bassa customs and tradition, strangers are
cared for, treated with kindness, respect and
dignity even if the stranger turns out to be a
bearer of good or bad omen. The Bassa people’s
respect for humanity led one of its sons, King
Kadasie (referred to as Bob Gray in some
Liberian history books) in the 1800s to forge
unity between the pioneers and the Bassa ethnic
group in the early 1800s (The African
Repository, Records of the various State
Colonization Societies). The Bassa people’s
kindness is further exhibited during the
conference of African kings when Bassa King Ba
Caa received representatives of the pioneers in
audience and accompanied the group to the
meeting, after which Providence Island was given
to the pioneers not sold to them.
At this point, my dear brothers and sisters,
if you learn anything at all this evening from
these remarks, you to teach it to your children
and grandchildren about the role their ancestors
– the Bassa people played in the birth of
Liberia. In essence, the key to my message here
is that if both King Kadasie and King Ba Caa had
not extended hospitality to the pioneers by
having them to meet with the other six Bassa
kings regarding Providence Island, I don’t know
if the birth of Liberia would have been
possible. I am not suggesting that the Bassa
people sanctioned the creation Liberia (it is a
known fact that Liberia was created in America);
however, initial hospitality extended to the
pioneers was a key turning point in Liberian
history.
In 1820, majority of the first group of
pioneers the American Colonization Society (ACS)
dispatched to Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone died
as the result of the region's swampy, unhealthy
conditions. Conceivably, the settlers were in
the worst of conditions at the time they met
with the Bassa people (African-American Mosaic:
Personal Stories and ACS New Directions). The
Bassa evaluate their leaders on the basis of
love for their people and on how they interact
and treat their fellowmen, especially visitors.
It is believed that because of “deeh”, meaning
sweet, visitors find it worthy to come visit
from faraway places. This is how one’s
reputation, whether good or bad, reaches
worldwide audiences. For this reason, it was a
common practice for our people to cook and put
some aside for a stranger who may be passing by.
The stranger does not have to be a relative to
get water to drink, bathe or sleep in our home.
As a Bassa person or a descendant of Bassa, you
have it within you to do good to people and no
one can deny you that right - even to provide
assistance to our people at this period in our
history when our nation is dwindling into
destruction (Inside Africa: J. Gunther 1950).
My fellow Bassa people, we played crucial
leadership roles in the birth of Liberia. Grand
Bassa County (Bassa Cove) was one of the two
colonies of the Commonwealth of Liberia
(sandwiched between Sinoe and Montserrado
counties). In 1839, four of her sons, Hilary
Teague, Amos Herring, John Day, and Anthony W.
Gardiner served as delegates to the
constitutional convention that led to Liberia’s
Declaration of Independence on July 26, 1847.
For example, the four stripes on the Bassa
County flag are in honor of these four men (The
signs of men and peoples: our world in flags and
ensigns by Whitney Smith, 1975).
The historical Bob Gray (King Kadasie) was
one of the key leaders of “Little Bassa” and the
commander of a military force, which consisted
of about 1,000 to 6,000 strong warriors. He was
highly influential and his cooperation was
crucial to the founding of Liberia. After the
Edina project, he also encouraged the pioneers
to build schools in such areas as Sooh-Kon (Schiefflin),
Kobain (Marshall), Dyabian-xwea (Hartford),
Dyabian-win (Edina) and Mamba Point in Monrovia
before the Declaration of Independence in 1847.
But King Kadasie and other Bassa leaders were
never deemed worthy of a national monument,
highway, or building in their honor in Monrovia.
I must, however, hasten to say that Providence
Island is a monument in honor of the pioneers;
and in the interest of ethnic parity and
national unity, similar landmark should be
dedicated to the natives who played crucial
roles in establishing what is known today as
Liberia. This effort could aid us in finding
genuine reconciliation in order for all us -
Liberians to truly say the “Love of Liberty
Brought Us Together”.
Surface to say that it was through King
Kadasie’s efforts that Edina became the second
city of Liberia, and he was also instrumental in
the building of the first public school for the
Bassa people in Edina, because at that time
Liberian schools were conducted on the porches
of the pioneers and the natives were not allowed
to attend (The African Repository and Bassa Oral
History). In Edina, Grand Bassa County, there
are statues of (President Joseph Chessman) and
Kadasie in honor of him by his people for his
contribution to helping the emigrants.
But the Bassa people are a patriotic and
nationalistic people. It was in the spirit of
this national consciousness that King Kadasie
and other Bassa leaders continued to render
assistance to the pioneers in the early stages
of the founding of Liberia. The Bassa people
possess all the attributes of greatness far in
excess of some of her neighbors who are now
setting the political tune by which Liberia is
to dance in 2005 and beyond. If we were to add
the people making up the family of Bassa ethnic
groups (the Krahn (Wee), Kru (Klao), Grebo,
Belle, Dei), we will have over 1.5 million
family members of a rich and diversified
culture, whose combined population and
cooperation could easily win any presidential
elections. In fact, history bears us up on this
in that as early 1915, a Kru (Klao) became the
Secretary of State for education and in 1925 a
Grebo (Henry Toe Wesley) occupied the second
highest position in Liberia, the
vice-presidency.
The Bassa people are champions of great
hospitality and goodwill who believe in
promoting individual as well as the family,
which in the end will benefit the entire
society. Also, we are respected for the
leadership roles have played as excellent civil
servants. The record will attest to it that
before the political subdivisions of Liberia,
which were known as provinces (Central, Western
and Eastern), became counties, Zamgbah Liberty,
Charles H. Williams and Albert T. White who were
from Bassa served as their commissioners. Other
outstanding Liberian civil servants that were
from Bassa include individuals like Presidents
Wilmot Anthony Gardner, Daniel E. Howard, Joseph
J. Chessman, Steven Allen Benson, VP James
Samuel Smith, and famous postmaster general,
McKinley A. Deshield. Deshield was a
professional shoemaker from Buchanan who rose
from shoemaking to become a well-known
postmaster general of Liberia. Adding to this
list are Richard Abrom Henries, the man who
represented Liberia at the founding of the
League of Nations (now United Nations), Dr Flo
Lewis, the first Bassa physician and a graduate
of Syracuse University, who wrote the Bassa
alphabet, the Bassa Vah Script (BVS), and Dr.
Dickson Reed, the first Liberian biochemist who
catalogued herbal remedies at the University of
Liberia.
Sons of Bassa such as Joshua L. Harmon, Charles
Williams, Joseph M.N. Gbadyu, the Rev. Dr. Abba
G. Karngar, and Jimmy Barrolle also played
crucial roles in the political, educational, and
religious transformations of the Bassa people
and Liberia in general. Besides, Bassa women
held administrative positions such as “Judge”
and “Governor.” One such person was Ne
Hweh-gedepohoh-Titi; she provided strong
leadership to the Liberian Market Women
Association. Her leadership compelled the
William R. Tolbert and Samuel K. Doe
administration to realize that the market women
deserved a healthy environment, market
buildings, because their labors accounted for a
hefty chunk of Liberia's economies. Thus, under
her leadership, Liberian Market Association
became independent, strong, and influential.
Generally, the Bassa people do not like for
anyone to impose on them or to try to force
something down their throats. The Bassa people
are a proud and self-respected people. And this
is the history we must tell our children. This
is the history for which we must take
responsibility to let others know. These are
facts: that are cataloged in the Library of
Congress in the African Repository section. Some
of the information can also be found in my
recent book: Nyanyan Gohn-Manan: History,
Migration and Government of the Bassa.
Fellow Bassa people and friends, if you know
your history you will never be ashamed to know
that Bassa people love the profession of
steward. Before Jimmy Barrolle became butler to
President W.V.S. Tubman, he was first a steward
to him. President Tubman respected Bassa people
because of their understanding of leadership,
spiritual values, collectivism, and stewardship.
He reinforced his respect for them
internationally when Amadu Ahidjo, the President
of Cameroon, paid a state visit to Liberia. In
fact, President Tubman took him to Grand Bassa
County. While in Grand Bassa County, the
President asked Ahidjo how were the Bassa people
of Cameroon contributing to his administration.
Ahidjo responded by praising the Bassa people in
his country. President Tubman went on to say
that in his government, the Bassa people are
trustworthy. He went on to say that their
philosophy stands for commitment to nation and
nation building. He also made the observation
that a Bassa person will not undermine you; and
will not bite his tongue when there is injustice
(J. M. N. Gbadyu, 2001). As Bassa people, our
upbringing taught us that, “where the flame is
higher is where you will find the people with a
cold.” In other words, respect unity or
togetherness!
Perhaps, this was the reason President Tubman
ended his remarks when he said, if the Americo-Liberian
president vacated the presidency of Liberia, the
Bassa man would be the right person to lead
Liberia. The Bassa people love to be respected.
Perhaps, this is the reason we are always taking
people to court instead of violating the laws of
our country. To us, respect means one must
conduct him or herself in a responsible way, so
as not to endanger his or her own life, and
those of others. Respect is about giving credit
where credit is due. In other words, while the
scene advances at a sightless speed, it is
always important to pause, take a look back, and
examine where it came from.
Bassa as Official Language of Liberia
We have earned the respect of our brothers
and sisters because we respect ourselves first
so we are able to respect them. It was therefore
no accident that the Bassa Language became the
trade language of Liberia. We put premium on
education from the very beginning so that all
Liberians to learn and know about each other.
This is why well-known Bassa such as Joseph M.N.
Gbadyu and Abba G. Karngar contributed to the
founding the literary movement championed by Dr.
Flo Lewis, the individual that redesigned the
Bassa script, ‘Ehni Ka Se Fa,’ (the Bassa
alphabet), which he taught to his people. Dr.
Lewis knew the power of the mother tongue
therefore he made the effort for Bassa to become
a major medium of communication at the regional
level and national levels. This effort was
supported by individuals like McKinley A.
Deshield, Secretary General of the ruling True
Whig Party; Richard Abrom Henries, Speaker of
the Liberian House of Representatives, James A.
A. Pierce, Chief Justice of Liberia; and Joshua
L. Harmon, Senior Senator of Grand Bassa County
and Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Executive for Presidential Affairs. These
individuals were helpful to the delegates of
Bassa Vah Association (BVA) from all over
Liberia to promote the Bassa script and to meet
with prominent government officials, including
President Tubman.
In the early 1970s, the Liberian Government
and Education Ministry recognized both the Bassa
and Vai Languages as written languages of
Liberia. The Executive Officers of the Bassa Vah
Association (BVA) were instructed to meet with
the administration of the University of Liberia
to register the Bassa Language as a curriculum
as well as to prepare the syllabus. The
President of BVA and the secretary registered
the Bassa Language and paid the required fees.
The Bassa Language was accepted as a subject at
the University of Liberia. The University
Academic Affairs department asked for two
faculty members from BVA to begin teaching
Bassa. But all those who were could teach the
Bassa language were already occupied with other
positions, and they could not leave those
position without being assured of stable
employment. This goal was not realized because
the Liberian Government could not fund the
project or failed to attract those qualified
Bassa speakers. As a result, the dream of making
the Bassa Language a subject at the University
of Liberia suffered a serious setback.
At this point, my dear friends, our message
here will be incomplete if we do not talk about
matters of the heart. I guess you have wondered
many times why Bassa men and women are very
sociable and friendly. If you did know then, let
me tell you. It is part of our chemistry and the
way we are socialized! You may have also heard
the joke that we like to cook or that we are
good cooks, good lovers, good socialites, as
well as good leaders. I could go on and on! But
let me continue with the matters of the heart
that I started with. The matter of love and
beauty is not about only physical beauty, it
also includes inner beauty. This is one of the
many reasons Bassa women are very desirable to
marry. Furthermore, the Bassa system of marriage
was (is) a no non-sense affair. Our traditional
marriage system speaks to the very foundation of
building and sustaining a stable and prosperous
family. For example, the tradition of courtship
and marriage go like this:
1. Kmohn bein (bein-kmohnkmohn is noun) is
the first contact phase. The young man is
obliged to tell his parents if he meets a girl
he likes, “I saw a girl and I want to catch
her”. At this stage there is no obligation but
it opens the way to communication. When the
young man’s parents like the girl and if the
parents have a good reputation in the community,
the parents may decide on “bah-sohn-kohn.”
2. Bah-sohn-kohn (the second phase) means
“touch on the shoulder.” This means that the
young man is ready to ask the girl if she will
accept his proposal. Bah-sohn-kohn also means
that the boy has “marked” the girl as his. If
any man comes around the girl and tries to start
a love affair, the parents will say, “Our
daughter is engaged.” In fact, they will not
allow it to happen.
3. Khna-gbo whon-hwie, (the third phase),
means to close the door; that is the young man
is taking on the family responsibility—domestic,
economic, and social. It also means that
whatever the girl’s parents do, the young man
must join them because he had closed all the
other avenues for their daughter.
4. Po- bui, (the fourth phase), is like a
trust fund; once the girl and her parents agree,
a mutually inclusive relationship is
established, the boy’s parents would bring food,
money, clothing, domestic animals, and the like
to the girl’s parents. This process is called
“nynohn-dohnon” or “buying” the woman. This is
not buying as in the western sense. The parents
also help with the “bohn-Non-Je” or all issues
about the initiations, as well as the “bohn-whor,”
meaning celebration of the feast. Nynohn-je is
another word used to describe this process of
contributing physical labor and cash payment. In
this process, the parents, not the girl,
determine the methods of payments for such
things as buckets, clothes, cattle, money, and
so forth.
A self-respecting Bassa parent will never
give a loosed daughter away in marriage. For
this matter, the Bassa allow their daughter to
be given in marriage over time. The Bassa
government does not allow the kind of wedding we
see in the western world: meet today marry
tomorrow. Marriage requires commitment, total
involvement, family input, and adherence to
Bassa mores, traditions, customs, and folkways.
The parents’ involvement is their expression of
accountability and love for their daughter. In
this arrangement, the daughter will not only
appreciate her parents support, she will respect
and cherish it. During this exercise, the girl’s
parents will put the groom to a test to see if
he is qualified to marry their daughter. With
this kind of system, no young man would pregnant
daughter and then say, “It isn’t me!” This is
why it is difficult to see the kind of family
breakdown and high divorce rate that is common
in modern societies.
Fellow Bassa, I hope my brief lesson into
Bassa history and tradition have inspired you to
begin to trace your Bassa root if you do not
already know. We must never forget who we are
and where we came from because if we forget the
past, we are likely to forget the present, and
we will not be prepared for the future. So, are
we ready to tell ourselves the truth? Are we
ready to dig deeper into our heritage and learn
those lessons that will help us to become good
leaders? I hope so because if at least one child
or one adult in this audience can go back to his
or her roots, then there is greater hope for
peace, unity, and development in Liberia. We
only need to begin developing the Bassa
counties, and our brothers and sisters in the
other counties would follow suit, and before we
know it, Liberia will once more be heading in
the direction of a prosperous nation.
You know, the Bassa people have a proverb
that says: “The hotness of a pepper pod begins
in the ground and not at its maturity.” You have
a moral and ethical responsibility to see
Liberia rise again, regardless of the fact that
some of our sons and daughters have tainted our
character and dis-positioned our standing. Never
forget the Bassa history I am sharing with you
here today. Teach the greatness of our people to
your children. Our forefathers taught us that
tool shapes the hand as well as the hand shapes
the tool. In other words, it was in the palm of
our hands that Liberia was born. It was our love
for all people and our straightforwardness that
other ethnic groups called on us to force their
attackers to surrender.
In closing, let me say to you that we must
continue to be friendly, civil, strong-willed
and straightforward talking people. We must
always seek the best for ourselves – but in the
process, we must take pleasure in undermining
others. It is this quality that has landed us
many leadership positions in various Liberian
counties like Nimba, Bong, Lofa, etc. Former
Lofa County Senator and Superintendent Zamgbah
Liberty was from Bassa; one of my in-laws, Mr.
David Moore served as a commissioner in Nimba
County for decades. Moreover, it was through the
leadership provided by individual from our
county, the first school for the natives was
built, which became a national project.
Therefore, we must not only enjoy ourselves
here today but also do some serious thinking
after our meal, dance and BBQ. For our
forefathers and mothers worked too hard for us
to throw away all that they have gained on our
behalf. We need to take action - to return to
our roots because we are not people who wait for
someone to bring opportunity to us. Currently,
all kinds of alliances are being formed and many
changes are going on around us, while our
homeland lay in want of good leadership. We have
to change our trends of thoughts. We need to
move away from this “yes sir” mentality and
begin to do something good for our ourselves and
people. We need to find all the Bassa people
living in North American who are not in UNIBOA
and bring them onboard. We need to act and act
today because everything around us is changing.
We have the ability to partake of the change.
Let us begin to look inward beginning today.
Liberia will rise again, and Bassa must rise
along with her. I thank you for listening!
