Floating Painstakingly Over Darkness or Gracefully Over Light: Eulogizing Liberia’s National Flag 

In my “Thinking Thoughts”, I considered the observance of August 24 each year as National Flag Day in Liberia. This day is expected to remind us of our heritage and how far we have come as a nation and hence celebrate our gains as the first Republic on the face of the continent called Africa.

Albeit, our current situation portrays a semblance of an entity covered by a very thick blanket of darkness and waiting for some divine intervention to expel the darkness and declare light. One then wonders if the Liberian Lone Star will be hoisted on August 24, 2022, to float gracefully over light or painstakingly over darkness.   

Brabbies, our flag, aka the Lone Star Banner, was knitted around 1847 by Stateswoman Susannah Lewis assisted by six other women of virtue. Its key significance at that time was to herald the founding of a brand new nation by free slaves who arrived on these West coasts in 1822. Mimicking their benefactor, the colors of the Liberian flag matched those of the United States except that our new banner had only one star with 11 stripes while our benefactor’s had several stars and 13 stripes.

Our Banner, our Common Identity

Like Liberia, every country on the face of this earth has a banner or a flag that portrays the common identity of the diverse characterization of people it represents. In some countries, those people are leaders whose ways of life exemplify their free and illegal access to collective wealth, while some are common citizens struggling daily to make ends meet; some are brutal notorious former war-lords turned state leaders, while others are survivals of belligerence; some are upright government officials with moral rectitude while others are grossly heartless, and corrupt to the core.

Some of the people who flags represent are genuine pastors and men of God while others are spineless, greedy, ignorant self-proclaimed false prophets who are moved by petty material gains instead of a craving for Salvation and redemption of their staggering nation-state. In some countries, instead of governments bowing to pastors to receive anointing and edification as Kings Saul and David did to the prophet Samuel, they instead condescend, bow and prostrate before the government to receive favor. 

Fellow Brabbies, on this flag day, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the plight of poor market women in some countries who have to sell bitter balls, pepper, and fire coal to send their children off to government schools with only a piece of doughnut as breakfast and recess each day, while wives and concubines of thieves turned government officials drive their kids to school in state-owned vehicles and display ill-acquired opulence.

Permit me to close this list by noting that some of the people this Lone Star represents are Zogoes, Zogees, and their Zoesprings, or children who might never see the door of a classroom as they too would become Zogoes. Whatever the characterization, this Lone Star banner remains our common identity.

Our Banner, Our Patriotic Reminder

You see, our Lone Star banner has always reminded us of our patriotic duty through two distinct patriotic unity themes from the time we entered school to adulthood. During our school days, we were compelled to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. When we reached adulthood, we sang “The Lone Star Forever” song at football games and programs instead of the national anthem. Those two songs brought us inexplicable satisfaction as they marked our existence and unified us as a nation. 

Each day, we students were compelled to take a vow to be committed to our country and remain steadfast and faithful to our common identity by saluting and reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” Beginning with “I pledge allegiance to the flag of Liberia and to the Republic for which it stands…” it ends with “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” 

The Lone Star Forever, for its part, almost replaced the national anthem for it reverberated within every nook and cranny of Liberia. During international football matches, as our national team, named after our flag, the Lone Star paused to greet the overcrowded stadium, we would raise the Lone Star forever song and sing until blood almost came from our nostrils and throats. But who cared at the time, all we wanted was to remain united to win.

Whether one was a former rebel, a greedy fake pastor, a corrupt government official, a fanatical inept partisan, whether one was a Zogoe, a Zogee, or Zoespring, when that song was sung, the aroma of unity that permeated the aura was incredible. Ah yes, how we crave our identity would be restored.

Darkness Painstakingly Over our Identity

You see my Brabbies, it appears like darkness has covered our country and the need for light has become dire. In Genesis1:1 when God created the earth, it was not only without form and empty or void, but also “darkness covered the face of the earth” Considering the magnitude of the darkness, God said, “Let there light” and what happened? The Bible says, “and it was so”  

Now, as we observe August 24, 2022, can we say the flag is floating over a Liberia in darkness or one in the light? On this flag day, if we consider our present situations, can we recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the true sense of its purpose? Do we have “one nation that is indivisible”? If the answer is “Yes”, then why did we have the 1980 military coup, the shooting of 13 Americo-Liberian government officials, and the 1990 civil wars that made Gio and Mano people to be the original rebels in Liberia? Is there liberty and justice for all?

If yes, why did Chief Justice Korkpor confess that some Liberian judges are corrupt? If there is justice for all why is Solicitor General Cyrenus Cephas on US sanction for dollarizing justice?  Are we all happy and united and of one accord? If we are happy on this Flag Day, then why are people clapping and rejoicing because Nathaniel McGill and Bill Twehway are placed under US sanctions for allegedly stealing poor people’s money?

If we are united on this Flag Day, why are there always protests and news of protests? Why are people whining over their appalling conditions? Do we wish long life and long service to our Government Officials or pray for God to remove their knees from our necks so that we can breathe? 

Gracefully Over the Light

But all is not yet lost because the situation we have on hand is God’s intervention despite the apparent harshness. When God finally decided to take the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, he gave them two banners, a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. The fire was hot and untouchable but showed light during the night. When the day came, a fine fluffy cloud led the children. It was God Himself who expelled the darkness and not the strength, money, and tough-talking of the children of Israel. He Himself expelled the darkness and his light shone. 

I have a hunch that one day the Lone Star will float over a nation whose people will not harbor hatred for their leaders and rejoice over their fall, a nation where there will be no clapping when sanctions are imposed; a nation where poverty will be pushed away into the abyss; a nation where people will not be allowed to steal the government money and think they can go free. A day when this Lone Star flag will float over a country of laws and not pusillanimous men but rather men with temerity.

This is why the Lone Star banner is important because it reminds us that a day is coming when it will not float with pain anymore but with the grace with which the forefathers and the stateswomen who diligently knit the banner for the first independent nation in Africa.

 Please join me now in the patriotic verses of Edwin Barclay’s  Lone Star Forever

The Lone Star Forever

Verse 1

When Freedom raised her glowing form, On Montserrado’s verdant height,
She set within the dome of night, Midst lowering skies and thunderstorm,-
The star of Liberty!
And seizing from the waking morn, Its burnished shield of golden flame,
She lifted it in her proud name, And roused a nation long forlorn,
To nobler destiny!

Chorus

The lone star forever, The lone star forever!
O long may it float o’er land and o’er seas!
Desert it, no never! Uphold it, forever!
O shout for the lone star’d banner — all hail!

Verse 3

Then forward sons of freedom March, Defend the sacred heritage,
The nation call from age to age, Where’re it sounds ‘neath heaven’s arch
Wherever foes assail, Be ever ready to obey
‘Gainst treason and rebellion’s front
‘Gainst foul aggression in the brunt
Of battle lay the hero’s way
All hail Lone Star all hail!

Chorus

The lone star forever, The lone star forever!
O long may it float, O’er land and o’er seas!
Desert it, no never! Uphold it, forever!
O shout for the lone star’d banner — all hail!

Happy Flag Day

About the author

The Rivercess scholar, critical thinker, and founder of the Diversified Educators Empowerment Project (DEEP), Mwalimu-Koh M. Blonkanjay Jackson holds a Master of Education from Harvard, and Master of Science in Mathematics Education from St. Joseph’s University; he is a Yale University Teachers Initiative Math Fellow and UPENN Teacher Institute Physics Fellow. The Rivercess man is a part-time lecturer at the UL Graduate School of Education. Mr. Jackson served the government of Liberia diligently for four years and returned to private practice as Development Specialist and Education Engineer. The Mwalimu-Koh can be reached at 0886 681 315.