CROZIERVILLE, Montserrado County – In a vibrant celebration of shared heritage, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and President Dame Sandra Prunella Mason of Barbados joined residents and dignitaries on Saturday May 10, to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the founding of Crozierville, a historic Liberian town founded by Barbadian settlers in 1865.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
The occasion, held at the Crozierville Town Hall, highlighted the enduring cultural and historical bonds between Liberia and Barbados, with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening diplomatic cooperation rooted in shared ancestry and values.
“We are proud to be Liberians. We are proud to be interconnected,” President Boakai declared. “Let’s take advantage of the knowledge of today to bring us closer. Liberia is a country with connections and contributions from all over. Some say we are the gate to Africa; I say we are the destination.”
Boakai emphasized Liberia’s founding by free people of African descent, including Barbadian immigrants who chose to settle in Liberia rather than Sierra Leone, illustrating the country’s deep roots in freedom and unity.
The occasion, held at the Crozierville Town Hall, highlighted the enduring cultural and historical bonds between Liberia and Barbados. From L-R): President Joseph N. Boakai, President Dame Sarah Mason and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung. Photo credit: Sanshey Biswas.
He acknowledged Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti for her efforts in strengthening diplomatic ties with Barbados, which have culminated in recent bilateral agreements and this historic state visit by President Mason—the first-ever by a Barbadian head of state to Liberia.
Reflecting on Crozierville’s significance, President Boakai noted that the town has produced several prominent figures in Liberia’s history, including Presidents Arthur Barclay and Edwin Barclay, as well as respected journalists Albert Porte and Kenneth Best, the founder of the Daily Observer newspaper.
“Our true wealth is not in mineral resources,” Boakai said, “but in our people.”
‘Reclaiming dignity and ancestral connection’
President Mason, delivering a deeply moving speech, said she was honored to stand in a town rooted in “courage and a profound sense of purpose.”
“What we honor here today is not just the founding of a town,” she said. “We honor a story of return. A journey of men, women, and children who crossed the Atlantic in faith—not just seeking a home, but reclaiming dignity and ancestral connection.”
She described the founding of Crozierville as a pivotal chapter in the shared history of Barbados and Liberia, marked by the migration of freed Barbadian families who came to Liberia following an invitation from Liberia’s third president, Daniel B. Warner.
“They arrived not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters returning home,” Mason said. “Although seas separate us, we are indeed bonded by blood, culture, and spirit.”
Mason called for deeper cooperation between the two nations in areas such as education, trade, investment, and tourism, stating that the bonds between Liberians and Bajans are not merely historical, but “profoundly essential.”
Sankofa Pilgrimage
The ceremony also paid tribute to the Sankofa pilgrimage, a cultural exchange initiative that saw a group of Liberians of Barbadian descent travel to Barbados in May 2024 to retrace the footsteps of their ancestors. They were accompanied by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
“That journey was a powerful act of remembrance and reconnection,” President Mason noted. “Sankofa teaches us that it is not wrong to go back and fetch what we have forgotten. In returning, we reclaim identity.”
As part of Thursday’s celebration, the two presidents laid a wreath at the Crozierville monument—erected in 1965 to mark the town’s centennial—and unveiled plaques honoring former presidents of Barbadian descent, including Arthur Barclay, Edwin Barclay, and Charles Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL).
They also renamed a section of the town “Barbados Circle”, symbolizing the enduring legacy of Barbadian immigrants in Liberia.
Earlier, an intercessory service was held at Christ Church in Crozierville attended by Presidents Boakai and Mason and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Mason’s visit aligns with Liberia’s foreign policy to strengthen relations with Caribbean nations, especially in the areas of tourism, trade, education, and cultural exchange.
During her visit, President Mason attended a state luncheon hosted by President Boakai at Monrovia City Hall and visited Providence Island, where she met with a group of young climate activists on Friday, May 9.
Sanshey Biswas, Webster Clayeh and Manon Vershot contributed to this story.