Transforming Liberian Communities in The Diaspora

Up until the 1980s, Liberians primarily limited their travels to the United States. Students, in particular, made up a bulk of that population.  The country had a relatively stable democracy and a prosperous economy. Not many needed to travel.

Unfortunately, the 1980 Military Coup nudged the first wave of refugees and asylees out of the country. Followed by the 1989 Civil War, which forced a larger flux of Liberian migrants to the United States shores. The United States Government granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to protect recipients from deportation and provide work permits.  After the Peace Agreement was signed in 2003, which finally ended the war and established democratic elections, migration to America tapered.

We are all somehow the products of those exercises. Residents, parents, and families of many states, including Ohio; we are healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, leaders, public servants and volunteers contributing to the growth and development of America. Nevertheless, our collective needs and wants as immigrants have grown far beyond the organization those founding fathers envisioned. We are, therefore, tasked as new generation of community leaders with the responsibilities of determining what path we pursue and where we want to see our community go.