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Regarding the Labels
Ethnic Krahns & Americo-Liberians 5 May 04 Dear Mr. editor, I just would like to take this opportunity to say my last few words on the controversy involving the use of the phrase " ethnic Krahn". As a matter of fact, I was one of those who raised concerns about the excessive and sometimes unfair use of that phrase when talking about the rebel group, Model (Movement for Democracy in Liberia). After going through some of your explanations and after taking a retrospective look at the use of phrases and words describing ethnic groups, I try to be rational and objective, in effect applying the same standard I am applying to other people, to my very self. Personally, in scholarly discussion about Liberia, I am in the habit of using the phrase Americo-Liberian Oligarchy, never trying to understand why it was not fair to use such a general description to talk about other people. In fact, I did a graduate thesis in which phrases like " Americo-Liberian Oligarchy or Americo-Liberian hegemony were used constantly. So, then, if I felt that the Americos once dominated the political and economic life of Liberia and it was fair to describe them as such, then I should not see anything wrong with anybody thinking of the Krahn people as such. As a member of the Krahn ethnic group, I never thought that the Krahn people ever came close to attaining the same political and economic power as the Americos. But we did obtain some power in Liberia. The late Samuel K. Doe, an ethnic Krahn, was a historic and tragic figure, having earned the distinction as the first native born to occupy the Executive Mansion. Therefore it is fair for people to judge us on the same scale as groups that have obtained power in Liberia. In that light, we have a responsibility to present ourselves as a group that is projecting some positive force in Liberia. But if history is any thing to go by, we have always failed to project that image. Always being identified with rebel groups that perpetrated violence just to gain political power and wealth is not anything positive. The late Samuel Doe sacrificed for us so that we could have the opportunities to compete with other Liberians in every aspect of life. We cannot always think that we can only obtain political power through the same way Doe and his gallant colleagues did on April 12, 1980. Their mission was historic and inevitable, because they had no choice in view of the absence of mechanisms for peaceful and orderly change dating from 1822. But now we have a lot of choices. And I am looking forward to the day when a Krahn person will be able to organize other Liberians around their ideas of fairness and political and economic freedom in Liberia and convince other Liberians to support him or her on the basis of character and merit. And the day that individual who would announce their candidacy for the presidency of the Republic of Liberia in the center of Zwedru City, will be one of the greatest days in our lives. This is not a tribalistic wish but a wish when it comes true, will promote tribal pride and moreover erase all these negative stereotypes. |
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