As Liberia Celebrates 179 Years
Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County – Liberia officially celebrated its 179th anniversary of independence on Monday, July 27, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. Thousands of people joined President Joseph N. Boakai, government representatives, diplomats, and foreign visitors in the national celebration. The official celebration took place on Monday, July 27, even though Liberia’s Independence Day, July 26, fell on a Sunday.
The occasion included a presidential speech, cultural entertainment, and a military procession. As Liberia celebrated its 179th anniversary of independence, the president called on Liberians to take back control of their country’s history and unveiled a National Historical Recovery and Repatriation Initiative, ordered the rehabilitation of the nation’s neglected National Archives and National Museum, and revived the long-delayed National History Project.
Under the theme “Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-Led Historical Leadership,” President Boakai spoke to thousands of Liberians and foreign visitors in Buchanan. He stated that the country must go beyond simply commemorating independence to understand the history that shapes its identity.
The president noted that Liberia’s history should be studied, interpreted, and maintained mostly by Liberians through expert, fact-based scholarship, emphasizing that a country that is aware of its past is better equipped to build its future. Boakai announced the establishment of the National Historical Recovery and Repatriation Initiative, which will collaborate with foreign universities, museums, and cultural organizations to return copies of Liberian historical records that are presently kept overseas.
Additionally, he promised improvements in infrastructure, digitization, preservation systems, and better public access for residents, researchers, and students as part of his administration’s commitment to modernizing the National Archives and National Museum. As a crucial representation of Liberia’s cultural legacy, the president has ordered the creation of an intergovernmental technical team to investigate the renovation and restoration of the long-abandoned Kendeja Cultural Center.
Boakai declared that his government will relaunch the National History Project, which was initially suggested by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in order to thoroughly record Liberia’s history using the efforts of qualified historians, archivists, archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, and educators without regard to politics.
The Liberian leader stressed that Liberians must continue to be at the forefront of studying and narrating their own history, even while foreign academics are still vital collaborators. Reflecting on Liberia’s nearly two centuries of statehood, Boakai described the country as “a people born in freedom,” whose identity has been shaped by indigenous civilizations, the return of freed Africans from the Americas and the Caribbean, and enduring ties with the African Diaspora.
He pointed out that nation-building requires more than robust institutions and challenged Liberians to value their common identity over differences in politics, ethnicity, and religion. “The strongest nations are united by shared values, common purpose, mutual respect, and a deep sense of identity,” he stated.
The President also noted that 2026 marks the centenary of both the 1926 Firestone Concession Agreement and the Harvard African Expedition to Liberia, saying both events significantly influenced Liberia’s economic development and historical documentation while calling for future scholarship to be increasingly led by Liberian voices.
Boakai thanked the people of Grand Bassa County for hosting what he described as an unprecedented national celebration and called on Liberians at home and across the diaspora to preserve the country’s heritage while working together to build “a confident nation that understands itself.”
Photo credit: Executive Mansion
