In a historic recognition of decades of extraordinary service to peace, justice, and women’s empowerment, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has conferred Liberia’s highest national honor—the Order of the Star of Africa (Grand Band)—on Cllr. Dr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, praising her as one of the nation’s “unsung architects of resilience.”
The award was formally bestowed as part of Liberia’s 178th Independence Anniversary celebrations, with a special cocktail reception held in her honor on July 24, 2025, at the Cecil Dennis Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In her acceptance remarks, Cllr. Chesson-Wureh expressed deep humility and gratitude, describing the honor not as hers alone but as a tribute to generations of Liberians committed to nation-building.
“I thank His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for this gracious honor and for the confidence it expresses in the work that I and so many others have been privileged to carry out in service of this beloved nation,” she said.
“This honor belongs to generations—past and present—who have dared to serve, to hope, and to believe in the dream of a united, just, and peaceful Liberia.”
She passionately called on Liberians to rise above tribal, ethnic, and political divisions and to embrace a shared identity grounded in unity and purpose.
“My life, like many others, stands as living proof that Liberian unity transcends tribe, ethnicity, and all divides that have threatened to tear the nation apart. We are one people, richly diverse, beautifully complex, and deeply interconnected,” she declared.
“There are many of us across this country who are bridges between the so-called divides of our nation. We are the evidence that peace, reconciliation, and unity are not abstract ideals, but living realities when we choose to embrace each other as Liberians first.”
In a soaring and emotional close, Chesson-Wureh accepted the award in the name of Liberia’s women, youth, elders, and peacebuilders.
“May this Grand Band not simply be a decoration, but a call to deeper service, louder advocacy, and unshakeable faith in Liberia,” she concluded. “May God bless Liberia. May God bless all of us—one people, one nation united in purpose.”
The event drew a cross-section of diplomats, civil society leaders, and international guests, many of them women from across Africa, the United States, and beyond who have worked alongside Chesson-Wureh or been inspired by her legacy.
Former Foreign Minister Olubanke King-Akerele, in a moving tribute, described the moment as “extraordinary and well-deserved,” calling Chesson-Wureh’s decades of work a model of principled, tireless service to the nation.
Cllr. Chesson-Wureh currently serves as the Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace, and Security—an institution created from the landmark 2009 International Colloquium co-convened by Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tarja Halonen of Finland.
She is globally recognized for initiating the Women’s Situation Room (WSR)—an award-winning, women-led early warning and rapid response mechanism to prevent and address electoral violence. The WSR has been replicated in over ten African countries and has received global acclaim. Chesson-Wureh chairs the Eminent Women’s Room of the WSR and co-chairs FemWise-ECOWAS, a regional network of women mediators.
Her national contributions are equally extensive: she chaired logistics for the 2015 inauguration of President Sirleaf, provided legal and ethical leadership during the Ebola crisis, and continues to mobilize youth across Liberia through ABIC platforms.
In the U.S., she played a pivotal role in advocating for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for undocumented Liberians—a major victory that secured work permits and legal protection for thousands of diaspora Liberians.
Chesson-Wureh’s personal lineage is steeped in Liberia’s story of leadership and resilience. On her maternal side, she is the great-great-granddaughter of King Zolu Duma (King Peter) of the Vai people and great-granddaughter of President Hilary R. W. Johnson, Liberia’s first native-born president. Her mother, Catherine Leona Tucker Chesson, was a lawyer and former legislator for Montserrado County.
Her father, the late Cllr. Joseph J.F. Chesson, served as Liberia’s Minister of Justice and was among those tragically executed during the 1980 coup d’état. She is an active member of the April 22nd Memorial Group, which preserves the legacy of President William R. Tolbert Jr. and others lost during that time.
Cllr. Chesson-Wureh holds a Juris Doctor with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the U.S. Federal District Court Bar, and the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL). She also holds professional certifications in Mediation and Arbitration from Bowie State University and has served on prestigious boards including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Medicine.
Her influence spans law, diplomacy, civil society, and education, making her one of the most impactful legal minds and advocates for peace on the African continent.
President Boakai’s decision to bestow the Order of the Star of Africa upon Chesson-Wureh is part of a broader national effort to recognize “the quiet giants” who have shaped Liberia through leadership, sacrifice, and service. The President, who has prioritized reconciliation, justice, and inclusion in his leadership agenda, emphasized that Liberia must celebrate those who fight for peace and human dignity.
“It is time we celebrate the unsung architects of Liberia’s resilience,” Boakai said in a prior statement. “People like Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh remind us that true nation-building begins with advocacy, courage, and the conviction that Liberia’s best days lie ahead.”
