Long before the coming of the settlers to the shores of Christopolis the indigenous tribesmen regularly did battle with each other for control over territory and natural resources. The coming of the settlers, while initially meant to placate worried slave owners who were afraid of violent retaliation from former slaves, was a welcomed event.
These were to a large extent children of distant relatives who were "taken" to faraway lands and subjected to inhumane conditions. Their new found freedom gave the locals a reason to celebrate. The NEWCOMERS also LOUDLY proclaimed “the Love of liberty brought us here” ! Like the Native Americans, the locals showered the emigrants with a lot of goodwill. Lands and other largesse were sold for “fire sale” prices. The emigrants misread the goodwill for ignorance.
Unbeknown to the locals MOST of the returnees were overcome by the plantation mentality. They viewed the locals as savages who were NOT equal in stature and or position in society. Strangely, and in no time they became masters and the locals servants or less.
Copying their masters in the West, they established a class system where the very few controlled the masses by violence, intimidation and "politricks" where applicable. The setting up of the monolithic TWP would ensure their rule and dominance forever they envisioned. Voting rights for the indigenous population were restricted mainly to control the outcome of political elections.
Surnames and family ties became the means by which access and position in society were acquired. This apparent apartheid lead to simmering anger that grew larger as the years went by - more than a hundred years !
After world war II, with the onset of the cold war political agitation could no longer be suppressed. Pseudo revolutionaries found an acceptable refuge in communism that proclaimed the "we are all equal" mantra. The USSR intention to create a bi-polar world after World War II compelled her to make major inroads in South America, Asia and Africa. Indeed the genie was OUT of the bottle.
Liberian "progressives" seized their opportunity in the early seventies and began agitating for CHANGE.
Their agitation culminated in the "Rice Riots of April 14 1979" where scores of demonstrators were killed. The government quelled the riots but the damage was done.
On April 12 1980 Samuel Doe and a few enlisted men "allegedly" stormed the Executive mansion and slaughter President Tolbert. This was the revolution which the “progressives” craved but were NOT prepared for. They had no experience in governance and were mostly overwhelmed with a sense of retributive justice and blinded by ANGER. The rest is history.
What does April 12 1980 means to us ? Both indigenous and settlers. Liberians I believe should viewed this as a day of solemn reflection. A day on which while trying to correct numerous INJUSTICES we created another...... to be continued
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