Forging Business Ties With Liberia

Liberians share a unique bond with African Americans unlike any found in Sub-Saharan Africa or anywhere else in the diaspora. We must foster the ties that bind our two communities instead of relying on white Americans, Asians and Europeans interlopers all who propped up former president Charles Taylor in spite of a dismal human rights record because of his "pro-American" stance. In that respect Taylor brilliantly leveraged his capital to essentially drain the country of crucial resources for years - causing unmitigated bloodshed in the process while leaving a legacy of poverty and squalor in his wake. Liberia is finally on the path to recovery, and now in the mist of rebuilding after decades of turmoil that caused the best and the brightest to seek out refuge in America, Europe and throughout the diaspora. I want to start forging these ties in my own modest way by just contributing to the dialog and suggesting that we African Americans are pulling for Liberia. We also wish to be considered good, ethical business partners with the capacity and potential to constructively create and develop lucrative business opportunities for both communities, and respectfully encourage the Sirleaf administration to proactively seek out African American businesses to aid in rebuilding Liberia.