TRIBUTE FILM VIDEO
On April 22nd 1980 13 men mostly Cabinet members of President William R. Tolbert Jr himself killed on April 13th 1980 were executed by firing squad in public by a Samuel K. Doe led coup ( supported by global powers) which resulted not only in Mr. Doe's public torture and execution a few years later but plunged Liberia into a brutal civil war, a Charles Taylor take over of Liberia and his subsequent ouster, arrest and trail in the Hague for war crimes. Why? What happened to Liberia, a country founded in 1847 by men and women of African decent and indigenous people of the grain coast. In 1847 Liberia was surrounded by racist colonial powers France to the west and north( Ivory coats Guinea ) and Britain to the East ( Sierra Leon).
All of Africa itself was ruled by European countries. One needs only to look at a map of Africa in 1958 just before Ghana the first of these colonies to became "free" to grasp the magnitude of this genocide. Liberia survived many take over attempts by the British,French and Germans without a standing army, no currency and secured it's borders from Nimba to Monrovia, East and West without modern communications or beast of burden. In 1980 Liberia was the Chair of The Organization of African Unity hosting it in Monrovia haven risen to the leadership role in not only liberating South Africa ( hosting many meeting of the squabbling freedom movement and harboring it's exiles in Liberia) but also taking a leadership role in brokering peace and harboring refugees in the Nigerian civil war. Liberia was the envy of every African country as Kwame and Seku would meet with William Tubman in Liberia to seek his advice, for it was Liberia that advocated for the independence of many of the then African countries under colonial rule. There was no road map (book)as to how to Africa was to be self governed.
Therefore those who constantly write, speak and preach at functions about the fact that the the settlers never contributed anything to the development of Liberia - its people and its history, have no idea how if it was not for Liberia's existence, the other countries in Africa might not have received their independence - that what was then Liberia would have been under foreign control. Politicians have no idea of the impact Liberia had on world history, let alone the rest of Africa. Ask yourself why these so called politicians turned historians do not want for you to know. That would mean that you would not be casting blame on the settlers all the time.
Thru misinformation and greed over 250,000 Liberians were killed in a span of 14 years of conflict. No country is ever created perfectly and we must look to the reality of Liberia. No 2000 solutions for 1847 problems. We must face the reality of Liberia , it's realistic history, it's people , it's natural resources, it's potential. It is with this in mind I wrote 'Ascendency Of 13 souls', a tribute to all who lost their lives in Liberia's civil war.
"When we look at this video we must ask ourselves if it was necessary for these people to have been murdered. Now, meditate, not the surface thoughts that you have been constantly bombarded with from people who only have their selfish interests at heart." Let us all strive never to allow such things to happen to us as a people again.
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William R. Tolbert Jr.
President of the Republic of Liberia
Ascendency of 13 Souls
