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Liberia is a country located on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Côte d’Ivoire to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and southwest. Monrovia is the capital city and the largest urban area in Liberia.
The Republic of Liberia was founded by freed African-American slaves in 1822, with the support of the American Colonization Society. They established a settlement in present-day Liberia and declared their independence on July 26, 1847. The country’s constitution was modeled after the United States Constitution, and the settlers became known as Americo-Liberians. Liberia is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic.
Liberia has a diverse population consisting of around 4.9 million people as of 2021, with 16 officially recognized ethnic groups. The official language is English, but there are more than 20 indigenous languages spoken throughout the country.
Liberia’s economy relies heavily on agriculture, with rubber and palm oil being the primary export commodities. The mining sector is also significant, with iron ore, gold, and diamonds being some of the major minerals extracted. Liberia has experienced economic challenges, however, due to civil wars, political instability, and corruption. The country has a long history of political strife and unrest. Liberia experienced two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, which caused massive destruction and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. After the second civil war, a peace agreement was signed, and the United Nations established a mission in Liberia to help maintain stability. The country has since been working on rebuilding its infrastructure, economy, and political institutions.
The Americo-Liberians did not techincally enslave the indigenous Liberian population in the same sense as chattel slavery in the Americas, their relationship with the local people was marked by significant inequality, exploitation, and social stratification. The Americo-Liberians, who were descended from freed African-American slaves, saw themselves as culturally superior to the indigenous people and sought to **civilize** them. Remember, the American Colonization Society was founded by Robert Finley who was an American Presbyterian clergyman. After Liberia gained independence in 1847, the Americo-Liberians established a **ruling class** that controlled the government, economy, and social institutions of the country. This elite group monopolized power and resources, often treating the indigenous population as second-class citizens. They imposed a system of indirect rule, wherein local chiefs were responsible for maintaining order and collecting taxes in their respective regions.
The indigenous people were subjected to forced labor, particularly on rubber plantations, and they were often paid very low wages, if they were paid at all. This exploitative system was sometimes referred to as “domestic slavery” or “peonage.”
The exclusion of indigenous Liberians from political and economic power contributed to social tensions, which eventually led to the 1980 military coup, when indigenous Liberian Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe overthrew the Americo-Liberian government. This marked the end of more than a century of Americo-Liberian political dominance, but it did not resolve the deep-seated issues of inequality and underdevelopment in Liberia.
This is why the black bourgeoisie will always be a threat to the black community. They will inevitably replicate the same Eurocentric systems. Especially of capitalism (that requires a forced lower class). Right now a lot of our people are becoming nationals of nations back in the motherland. I hope that the black bourgeoisie paradigm dies before another system like it arises. The Americo-Liberians’ behavior towards the indigenous population in Liberia can be attributed to a combination of factors, including their cultural background, the influence of Western ideologies, and their own experiences as a marginalized group. They were colonizers. (See what we discussed about this)
Americo-Liberians were primarily descended from freed African-American slaves who had been exposed to American culture and values. They considered themselves culturally superior to the indigenous populations in Liberia, which led them to adopt a paternalistic and condescending attitude towards the local people. The 19th century was marked by widespread belief in the “civilizing mission” of Western powers. European colonial powers justified their conquests and colonization by claiming that they were bringing “civilization” and modernity to the so-called “backward” peoples of the world. The Americo-Liberians were influenced by these ideas, which led them to believe that it was their duty to “civilize” the indigenous population by imposing their own culture, religion, and values. The Americo-Liberians themselves had been subjected to discrimination and marginalization in the United States due to their African heritage. After they arrived in Liberia, they sought to create a society where they would be the dominant group, which led them to adopt an oppressive attitude towards the indigenous population. The Americo-Liberians wanted to maintain control over Liberia’s political and economic resources, which required them to establish dominance over the indigenous population. This control allowed them to exploit the local people’s labor and resources for their own benefit. The Americo-Liberians sought to create a social hierarchy based on race and culture, with themselves at the top. They believed that their Western education, Christianity, and cultural background made them inherently superior to the indigenous people, who were often seen as “primitive” or “uncivilized.”
These factors combined to create a situation in which the Americo-Liberians acted like colonizers, exploiting and dominating the indigenous population of Liberia. This behavior led to deep-seated social, economic, and political inequalities that have persisted in the country for many years.
Realistic conflict theory (RCT) is a social psychological theory that explains how intergroup conflict can arise as a result of competing goals and limited resources. The theory suggests that when two or more groups are in competition for resources, it can lead to hostility, prejudice, and discrimination towards the outgroup. This competition can be real or perceived and can involve a range of resources, including power, money, and social status. The theory has been widely studied and has helped researchers to better understand the causes and consequences of intergroup conflict.
Liberia serves a cautionary tale whereas Haiti showed us how freedom is earned. Now on to the argument.
Why is there so much push for representation and diversity? Its based on the integrationist idea that if we assimilate into their society and work hard, our “pathologies” would disappear while simultaneously the forces that are pushed against us to keep us in the stockades are strong and a small percentage of us make it out and a huge majority are silenced or in general ignored when not partaking in the minstrel show that has become the main representative of our culture. They busted our social movements that would have increased black power. Now, the black bourgeoisie is selling out the culture for Representation and diversity and other white liberal talking points, the same group are also attempting to lead black people into white conservative voting blocks. Both do not have the black community’s best interest at heart. Their version of representation and diversity is dishonest and it usually still manages to neuter(whitewash) blackness by showing us only within stereotypical extremes. Either as a low-class thug OR as acceptable black person (even further an o**o). This isn’t representation, its representing the one subsection of Black America that aligns their values with classic white americans (Neo-blackness, Bow-tie 🥷 ) It’s pushing their ideology under the guise of our ideology. I often hear Blackness isn’t a monolith. WTF do you think black culture is? Of course there’s diversity in religion, political ideology, education, region, but one can recognize this without meaning theres a lack of diversity in black communities, especially where diversity seems to cause more division than unity. I think this is a talking point of separatist to justify their divestment and assimilation. In fact, hollywood propaganda are coloring white people with our juice because they dont want to show black people in an negative light in any way. They dehumanize us further. They also seem to push diversity in romance. They love showing black people in IR instead of promoting Black Love. Against ask, who is pushing this? When you see other black people pushing these ideas, ask who are they and why? what is their background? What’s their ideology? They want to control the narrative about what happens in the trenches BUT they were behind enemy lines the entire time and some where never in the trenches at all. So many found their blackness on college campuses after being socialized conditioned and indoctrinated by white society their entire lives. They measure black excellence with white normality, they look for themselves and insert themselves into Eurocentric identity and ways of life. See the paint the cup black but pour milk into.
They present concepts as “black” but it is just the appearance, a layer, the underlying substantial “essence” of their ideology isn’t black empowerment or raising black awareness or anything like that. Liberals will always find some “cause” to stand behind and conservatives will always find some cause to stand against. Black liberals push their ideology with a coat of black, but it’s really issues that have only affected the societies they built. I imagine that if they were to ever take power, they would appease them instead of try to restore nurture and cultivate Black America (Obama’s entire presidency LOL) Look at Kamala for instance and Candace Owens or any other black conservative. They live, walk, talk, act, etc like white americans. (bLaCk iS nOt a mOnOlthIc) no shit, but they arent even socialized or representative of us YET they will talk, walk, and act like they are to their true audience, their white liberal or white conservative audience and the other black americans who live, walk, talk, and act as they do. But they will sell the culture for points, I see it a lot nowadays, black people selling out the culture when we should gate keep and collectivise. We allow so many others to “join in on the fun” when they have zero investments to the community, they take our culture, commodify it, and sell it back to us and reinvest that money into their communities. They try to talk like us, walk like us, all to be cool (Discussed in White Ne***s) we call them allies, they get proverbial invites to the cookout. Many not knowing they are playing into white people fantasies (specially the White Paternalism and White Savior complexes that is fueled by guilt)
I believe Black Americans should perform an exodus, integration weakened us. It added creamer into the coffee. It tricked black people into placing american before the black. Haiti showed us what would happen if black people fought for our freedom, fought for ourselves, and Liberia showed us what would happen if the Black Bourgeoisie took over. Their version of diversity still places them at the center of superiority. Just as their token colorblind representations could be easily be swapped out with their version of “default” They include US but the black people they do show represents the “black friends” they imagine they have that makes them not a racist. They want to keep us divide and further dilute black power movements by using diversity. These same black people that’ll preach all this black power rhetoric will drive back to suburbia with their white spouse, they push IR to black women and black men, go support all white businesses, send their children to all white schools where they are being socialized, talk down on AAVE, avoid black people, their families, and culture, etc. They are only black to white people and they want to represent the culture when they do everything to separate themselves from it. They were never in the trenches yet they telling war stories. We all have met them. This is only one type when its three types ive ID
- The Bow-Ties (Black Bourgeoisie)
- The O*** (these are the radicals out of the three)
- Neoblack (the ones i talked about, i suspect they are the children of the bow-ties)
They stand in opposition to the unapologetic black people. This is their version of diversity. They commodify blackness and sell it back to push their programs and agendas. It’s never diverse, it’s always an acceptable black person (never your average run of the mill black american) they show a diverse group of white people (Euphoria for example) but the black people are always one type but they are there for inclusion. They are never just “black”
Frazier identified the black bourgeoisie as black Americans who acquire money and status while assimilating white social structures. The main point of E. Franklin Frazier’s “Black Bourgeoisie” is to critically examine the social, economic, and political behaviors of the African American middle and upper classes, emphasizing their attempts to assimilate into mainstream American society and adopt the values and culture of the white middle class, often at the expense of their own racial identity and solidarity with the broader black community. Frazier argued that the black bourgeoisie sought to emulate the lifestyle, values, and culture of the white middle class in order to gain acceptance and social mobility. This behavior, however, led to a detachment from their own cultural heritage and the black community’s struggles. The black bourgeoisie was characterized by a focus on material possessions, social status, and respectability, which Frazier believed distracted them from the more significant issues of racial equality and social justice. Frazier contended that the black bourgeoisie’s preoccupation with assimilation and materialism led to a lack of meaningful social and political engagement in the broader struggle for civil rights and racial equality. Frazier’s work can be seen as a critique of respectability politics, which is the idea that if marginalized groups adopt the dominant culture’s norms and values, they will be more accepted and treated fairly. He pointed out that this approach can be counterproductive, as it can lead to the abandonment of one’s own cultural identity and a lack of solidarity within the community. Frazier’s work highlights the complexities and contradictions within the black middle class, revealing the challenges they face in navigating American society and their efforts to balance their aspirations for social mobility with their racial identity and responsibilities to the broader African American community.
Some examples of the BBs systems
- The Talented Tenth: The concept of the “Talented Tenth” was introduced by W.E.B. Du Bois, who believed that an educated and elite group of African Americans could lead the rest of the community towards social, economic, and political advancement. Frazier critiqued this notion, suggesting that the black bourgeoisie focused on assimilation and materialism rather than the upliftment of the entire African American community.
- Black fraternities and sororities: These organizations, founded at historically black colleges and universities, often attract members of the black middle and upper classes. While they may engage in philanthropic and community service activities, Frazier argued that these groups also reflect the black bourgeoisie’s desire for social status and respectability.
- The “Brown Paper Bag Test”: This was a discriminatory practice within the African American community, where individuals were assessed based on the lightness of their skin, often using a brown paper bag as a reference. Frazier suggested that the black bourgeoisie participated in and perpetuated colorism, seeking to distance themselves from darker-skinned African Americans as a way of gaining social acceptance from the white majority.
- The rise of the black professional class: The growth of the black professional class in the 20th century, including doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs, provided opportunities for social mobility and economic success. However, Frazier argued that this often led to a focus on material wealth and status, with less attention paid to the broader struggle for racial equality.
- Black churches: Frazier also critiqued the role of some black churches in reinforcing the values and aspirations of the black bourgeoisie. These churches often emphasized respectability, social status, and conformity to white middle-class norms, rather than focusing on social justice and the empowerment of the black community.
- The Negro Business League: Founded by Booker T. Washington in 1900, this organization aimed to promote black entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency. While the League did support the growth of black-owned businesses, Frazier argued that it focused more on the economic success of individual entrepreneurs rather than addressing the broader economic inequality faced by the African American community.
- The Harlem Renaissance: This cultural movement in the 1920s and 1930s brought together African American artists, writers, and intellectuals, many of whom belonged to the black bourgeoisie. While the Harlem Renaissance produced significant cultural achievements, Frazier contended that it also reflected the black middle class’s desire for assimilation and recognition by the white mainstream.
- The Black Social Register: Similar to the Social Register for the white elite, the Black Social Register was a publication that listed the names and addresses of prominent African American families. This publication exemplified the black bourgeoisie’s preoccupation with social status and respectability.
- African American private schools: Some members of the black bourgeoisie chose to send their children to private schools, often seeking educational environments that emphasized traditional white middle-class values and culture. This practice can be seen as an example of the black middle class’s pursuit of assimilation and distancing from their racial identity.
- The “Jack and Jill” clubs: These social clubs, founded in the 1930s, were created for the children of middle-class and upper-class African American families. They organized social events and activities that emphasized etiquette, refinement, and other characteristics associated with the white middle class. The existence of these clubs illustrates the black bourgeoisie’s focus on social status and assimilation.
When Blackness (post-slavery consciousness) + Capitalism (profit)
There’s no power in seeing ourselves or walking like the people who seen us as subhuman. There’s no power in replicating the same systems.
