Monrovia, Liberia – A Juneteenth celebration in Monrovia moved well beyond commemoration on Thursday, June 19, as creative and policy heavyweights mapped out practical ways to deepen economic and cultural ties between Liberians and African Americans.
Hosted at the L’Africana Social Club Center, the special screening of the short film I Hate My Love Life—and the two-tier panel discussion that followed—formed the heart of a program themed “Bridging the Gap Between African Americans and Liberians for Economic Growth and Development.”
Jointly organized by the Liberia Film Awards, Office of the Diaspora Affairs, and Journey Home Film Festival, the evening opened with a traditional circle folk dance, a reminder of the cultural foundations the panelists hoped to turn into modern-day opportunity. Inside the room, Hesta Baker, CEO of Africa Travel & Life magazine, steered a live discussion featuring Dr. Layli Maparyan, President of the University of Liberia; Hon. Elias Shoniyin, Chair of the Policy Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs; and Hon. Cynthia Blandford, Managing Director of Blandford Thompson Consulting. Simultaneously, Tianna Sherman Kesselly moderated a Zoom panel with Barkue Tubman-Zawolo of Essence magazine; Hon. Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, Fulton County Commissioner; and actress-director Terri J. Vaughn, whose star power lent cinematic gravitas to the event.
After the audience watched Reggie C. Hayes and Terri J. Vaughn spar in a comedy about long-married lovers seeking fresh sparks, conversation quickly turned to how storytelling can fuel investment and partnership. “It is important that you learn your craft, use what is available around you,” Vaughn urged emerging Liberian filmmakers. “Look around, grab a friend that is a producer and create something, use your platform to showcase your art.” She added, “black people all over the world are superheroes.”
Cynthia Blandford echoed that call for self-determined narratives. “African and African American history, culture, and contributions. They are often overlooked and met with discontent, but our legacy extends beyond our history of slavery, tribal warfare, civil conflicts, and poverty,” she said, pressing the room to leverage heritage as a springboard for new ventures.
Yet the night’s most galvanizing moment came when Hon. Elias Shoniyin recalled a 2016 tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. “One thing I observed there was not a single history of Liberia,” he said he told his guide.
Asked why, the guide replied: “The history of Liberia and its formation is not something that we are very proud of.” Shoniyin’s rejoinder — “We cannot change history, but we can shape the future” — drew applause and framed the challenge: to ensure Liberia’s story is both told and monetized through tourism, media, and education.
From the diaspora side, Essence executive Barkue Tubman-Zawolo and Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman spoke of aligning entertainment pipelines, trade shows, and scholarship exchanges so talent and capital flow in both directions.
They were backed by Daily Observer Managing Director Bai Best, who told the hybrid audience, “A lot of African Americans in the corners in the shadows rooting and hoping Liberia’s get better, I think sometimes they are awaiting us to take the first step to make a decisive bond and intentional one.” He added, “Liberians have to do more like approaching with a hand shake or partnerships than a posture of hat in hand or seeking aid.”
Throughout the Q&A, both audiences pressed panelists for concrete next steps: training labs that pair Hollywood professionals with Liberian crews; co-produced documentaries to reclaim overlooked chapters of Liberian history; and policy incentives that make Monrovia an appealing hub for African American investors celebrating Juneteenth not only with a film ticket but with a business plan.
By night’s end, the message was clear: the big screen can be more than a mirror; it can be a launchpad. As Dr. Maparyan summed up, the grass grows greener “when creative, entrepreneurs, and policymakers water it together”—on both sides of the Atlantic.
In celebration of Juneteenth, now recognized as a federal holiday for the fifth consecutive year in the United States, the Liberia Film Awards, Office of the Diaspora Affairs, and Journey Home Film Festival jointly organized a special screening and panel discussion on Thursday, June 19. This event took place at the L’Africana Social Club Center in Monrovia, under the theme “Bridging the Gap Between African Americans and Liberians for Economic Growth and Development,” and featured the film “I Hate My Love Life,” starring Reggie Hayes and Terri J. Vaughn.
The event’s panel discussion, which aimed to strengthen connections between the communities, included distinguished participants such as Dr. Layli Maparyan, President of the University of Liberia; Barkue Tubman-Zawolo, Chief Community Officer at Essence; Hon. Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, Fulton County Commissioner; Terri J. Vaughn, actress, director, and producer; Hon. Elias Shoniyin, Chair of the Policy Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs; and Hon. Cynthia Blandford, Managing Director of Blandford Thompson Consulting.
Video: Performance by Traditional Culture Dancers: Special Juneteenth Screening & Panel Discussion
Opening the gathering was a traditional folk dance performed in a circle, symbolizing unity and reinforcing community identity. The event attracted both everyday Liberian students and notable figures from across Liberia. The Zoom panel discussion, which brought together Liberians in the diaspora and at home, was skillfully moderated by Hesta Baker and Tianna Kesselly, who introduced the panelists to the audience.
Dr. Clarice Ford Kulah gave a warm welcome, expressing her enthusiasm for the growing spirit of Liberia’s creative industries within the Diaspora and local communities. The audience then viewed the short film “I Hate My Love Life,” which tells the story of a couple who, after over 30 years together, find themselves weary and irritated by each other.
Seeking change, they venture out on dates with other people to explore what might happen. The film stars Reggie C. Hayes, Terri J. Vaughn, Roy Woods Jr., Daphnique Springs, Orion Phillips II, and Meghan Falcone.
“Personally, one theme stood out to me,” Dr. Kulah explained, “the idea that the grass isn’t necessarily greener elsewhere. As a Liberian residing abroad, whenever I return home, it seems people often assume that I’m living in a place where the grass is greener.
“Currently,” she continued, “I’m a Liberian in the Diaspora. I’m glad to be back home, where I believe the grass is greener here, even though others think it’s greener somewhere else. This was the message from the film that truly resonated with me.”
Hannah Dunbar, a participant in the Special Juneteenth Screening and Panel Discussion, shared her reflections following the event, highlighting the various panelists and their sincere responses regarding the progress and evolution of Liberia.
Meanwhile, immigrants and their children negotiate between two worlds: the culture, language and traditions of their homeland and those of their adopted country. Or as Hon. Cynthia Blandford said, “African and African American history, culture, and contributions. They are often overlooked and met with discontent, but our legacy extends beyond our history of slavery, tribal warfare, civil conflicts, and poverty.”
Hon. Elias Shoniyin, Chair, Policy Advisory Council, Foreign Affairs, emphasized Liberia’s potential to significantly elevate its position in Africa. Drawing from his experience in 2016 after a tour at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, he reflected, “One thing I observed there was not a single history of Liberia.” He asked his tour guide, “Do you know Liberia and our history?” His tour guide responded, “Yes.” Then he asked, “Why is Liberia’s history not recorded in this museum?” With a painful response, the tour guide said, “The history of Liberia and its formation is not something that we are very proud of.” Hon. Shoniyin replied, “We cannot change history, but we can shape the future.” Hon. Shoniyin received applause from his fellow panelists for that resilient spirit as an African son.
“It is important that you learn your craft, use what is available around you,” Terri Vaughn explained. “Look around, grab a friend that is a producer and create something, use your platform to showcase your art.” She added “black people all over the world are superheroes”
The panelists participated in an insightful Q&A session with both the in-person audience and Zoom attendees, discussing their research and personal experiences as members of the African diaspora.
In this session, Mr. Bai Best, the General Managing Director of the Liberia Daily Observer, shared his perspectives on the experiences of African Americans in the diaspora.
“A lot of African Americans in the corners in the shadows rooting and hoping Liberia’s get better, I think sometimes they are awaiting us to take the first step to make a decisive bond and intentional one. He added “Liberians have to do more like approaching with a hand shake or partnerships then to always be begging or half handed.”
