Great video Joy. Keep on sharing your experiences. I visit Liberia often and I have my share of bitter experiences also. One in particular that I still carry with me: a lady marked up the price of a watermelon 🍉 because of my appearance and my American accent. She then had the nerve to discuss this with another lady next to her in kpelle. This lady warned her that her actions were wrong but she didn't listen. Long story short, I understand kpelle and I told her what she said. The look on face was priceless!!! I also, turned around and purchased the watermelon from her friend and gave this friend a great tip just because I could. I also thanked the friend for being so kind.
Everything you say is true doe customer service especially at the airport especially where you go to do your COVID-19 test is at in the passport department especially Liberia I don’t even respect Them self ‘
Thanks so much for raising this issue about classism and tribalism. There are folks to this day whose self-esteem was totally destroyed by that issue. I truly believe that white supremacism worked through our brothers and sisters to attempt to destroy African culture in Liberia. The Europeans believe in replacement theory: replacing every language, name and culture with there’s.
I’m a Nigerian that has lived in the US for over 30 years. Thank you for speaking up. Everything you said it’s true but in my opinion I think Liberia is learning from Nigeria because it is blatantly obvious in Nigeria. I actually got into a verbal confrontation with the manager (Lebanese) and once I started speaking American English 😂😂😂😂 was when he calmed down. The disrespect is real
@@SheSpeaksToo it does it’s an African problem. I think colonization has to do with that. We have been programmed for yes sir and yes ma’am for them. Inferiority complex
@@chrisoghenetegamaloney5799 it’s only a moron that will question another man’s experience. Don’t tell me Nigerians wouldn’t allow such cause I have friends who have experienced similar things. Just because 😏 you live in Lekki means you know everything that is going on ???? Pele Lekki patrol officer. You are part of the problem cause you have been indoctrinated and programmed to believe that racism doesn’t exist . My friend don’t @ me again keep your fuckery to yourself
This is a very important discussion. I personally experienced racism visiting a beach resort in Thinkers Village, a famous one but I keep forgetting the name. It’s owned by Lebanese. I was on a queue behind some Lebanese ladies who were allowed to enter without being asked to pay. But when my turn came my wife and I were asked to pay before entering. I know some will say that it is a policy in some resorts. The thing is, it wasn’t my first visit there and I had never paid before. So I left, I decided to spend my money where i will be respected.
Wow! Joy, this has been my experience in Liberia. From my visits to the ice cream pallor, to our police on the streets and road blocks, to the workers at the Robertsfield, International Airport. I am also a 36.5 years Registered Nurse, educated and has worked in different hospitals, different States in the U.S.. As you have seen, I have seen these discriminations in while standing on lines at a bank, when a Lebanese young man came in, and was ushered to sit down, while waiting for a teller. I had to say something to this security guard angrily, and my fellow Liberians started speaking up. The security guard went on to apologise for his actions. I have had to educate my fellow Liberians, that if i was a Lebanese, Chinese or White, their attitudes would be quite different. On two different occasions, while leaving Liberia, my car was stopped at the first gate, and told us that we had to stop our car, take my luggages out, walk to the terminal. I refused, and held up the traffic, telling them i was not going to move my car; if I had been again, a Lebanese, Chinese or White, the gate securities would never have stopped me or my car from entering the departure gate. I am a 110% Lorma woman, educated and a professional. To our brothers and sisters working for the Liberian Institutions, let's respect our own people first. Here's one example recently, the government of the United Arab Emirates have banned West Africans and honestly BLACKS from visiting their countries. LOVE YOURSELVES and your own. This is where the world is going. Thanks Joy for this piece!!!
I’ve experienced poor customer services as well during my first visit back home earlier this year. The lack of customer service in Liberia is one of the biggest reasons why businesses can’t grown. You walk in a store or restaurant and these ppl think they can talk to you anyhow. They will talk to the white man/woman nicely and give attitude to their fella Liberians. smh
Great topic!!! I have experienced this too many times visiting Liberia and it’s very sad especially when you have lived and worked in the west and clearly know and understand from a “broader & reasonable perspective”, it hurts to witness how much we lack love & self esteem for ourselves 😫😫. The structure of our country since 1847, I believe has a lot to do with this as well because over time people have been made to believe this narrative sadly. Praying that we can operate more Liberian owned businesses and trained our people better customer service and self worth. Thanks again for this video 🙏🏾
Love this video Joy ❤. It is sad that our own people are being treated this way in Liberia especially by foreigners. If it was the reverse it won’t be happening. Liberian government need to do better to improve the country’s situation otherwise it will be overruled by foreigners. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us
Thank you for watching and supporting! It is sad indeed. We need to have a sense of self worth as a nation. I was told that a lot of grocery stores in Nigeria are actually owned by actual Nigerians. Here, foreigners own most.
@@SheSpeaksToo that’s sad 😞 Liberia is so rich with resources but our people refuse to take advantage of it them. Instead everyone want to move to Monrovia and live the big shot life. And the government are all stuffing their pockets and their family’s and friends
And it's done often times by our own people. Only a few of the tailors in the market were nice to me, though they gave me different price than they did the locals...only one person didn't raise my rate too high because I was from abroad...smh
Many many thanks to you because of exposing all of the things you went through. I am a real Kpelle man both parents were Kpelle but when I visited Liberia in 2021 something like that was trying to play on me but I quickly put it in the rightful place. I think they never knew what they were going to expect from me but I really make them to feel the heat from me. Be blessed and always be who you are.
Most Liberian's have travel to other countries and see how they are treated there. They come back home and treat foreigners better than their own LIBERIAN'S. YOU DON'T NEED TO TRAVEL TO HAVE COMMON SENSE. Protect and respect your own LIBERIAN'S.
It has been my experience, since being here, that Liberians who have traveled don't treat foreigners better. Perhaps it's because they have traveled and lived among them. However, I do notice that Liberians who have traveled treat other Liberians who have traveled better than the average Liberian who has not.
These topics are very helpful in shipping our sense of consciousness. Liberia is our country, we should never allow people to take it away from us. Thanks
Thanks for this interesting and informative article. I will assume many people have experienced similar situations but are not able to express it as you have. I am pleased to share it to as many people as possible. Thanks again!👏🏽
You hit the nail right on the head, Joy! I have not experienced It personally, but my husband and sisters have all been back home several times and that is their principal complaint. Classism on the other hand, is ongoing among Liberians even here in the US. I too, am a nurse and on several occasions, I have been asked by older Liberians while on the job about my tribe. It is wrong. It's pernicious and it has to stop. I feel that knowing the tribe of some one only serves one purpose and that is, to discriminate or to have a justification for their biases towards you.
I like your topic very much. I thought I was the only one who feels so strongly about this issue. This is going on every day in Liberia. Liberians have been brainwashed to see their self as lesser people than foreigners. We need to keep educating our people.
We Liberian especially in the US, Liberian in LIb does not like us, why because they feel it shouldn't be us it should be them, and whole day we talking for them on this side here, Liberian in the U.S generates more money in Liberia than any other Liberian out of Liberia 🇱🇷, I said what I said.
The division is sad. Liberians will seek to bring each other down. This is why I do not live in a Liberian community. I am the only Liberian in my neighborhood. I do my best to stay out of Liberian Communities here in the USA.
I just came across your channel, and this topic that you had discussed is spot on. We have the same issues in Sierra Leone, Liberia's sister country. Tribalism and nepotism and classicism is rife in Salone too, and in many African countries.
My dear sister I thank you very much for sharing this video and your story as well. Currently, I live in the United States 🇺🇸, and such a video 📹 I will be opening a ice-cream business in Liberia 🇱🇷 I promise. I'm very sorry that you had to go through this. It was always my dream to open a ice-cream business in Liberia. I lived in Pennsylvania, and I also have a ice-cream business in the USA. You are so true about that. Anyway good luck to you and your family 👪 and we should meet one day by the grace of God.
I definitely experience foreign privilege when I visited Liberia. I went to the bank and met everyone standing outside. I didn't know what were going on, so I tried to talk to the security guard. The security didn't acknowledge me at all and walked away. Someone else told me that I needed to stand in line and show me the line. Why standing in line, this Lebanese guy came and walked right in without being told that he needed to stand in line. After seeing that, I went right after him. The security guard turned to me and told me to go back in line without saying anything to the Lebanese guy. I told the security to tell the guy to go stand in line too. The security guard could not say a word to the Lebanese guy. I just politely walked in the bank and told the security to let me know when the guy is ready to stand in line with me. I was so disappointed in seeing how Liberian treat those foreigners better than their own Liberians. I was young when I left Liberia and it was my first time returning home too 😔
Liberians have been putting the Lebanese a high priority for a long time since I was a kid growing up there. Thank God that we from the settlement don't do that crap.
Thanks for your video. Just came back from Liberia after living in the state for 25 years. We had the same experience in Liberia and it's really sad. Foreigners have more respect than Liberians, which is not good.
Oh wow! Thanks for beeing here sis. You are very beautiful. I Am American and have been studying the history of different states like New Georgia and New Maryland in Liberia and the original people of Liberia. I totally agree with you and this is sad against it’s own. I hope things improve there. I thought about visiting Liberia but change of mind. God bless you and the people of Liberia.
Hi I am very happy to stumble on your channel and I am enjoying the topics that you are discussion.Truly,truly you've hit the nail on the head.It drive mad very very mad too.Thanks for being very truthful and inciteful about this very issue. Thanks a lot. Good bye.
It’s my husband RU-vid, but as his wife thanks for sharing this, it broke my heart hearing this, I been so afraid to come back to my own country because of all the news I get when people go back…….
If you live in Liberia like I do, that's virtually impossible. I haven't been to a grocery store yet that isn't foreign owned. That includes most essential businesses. Do you live in LIB?
Good job for the attempt to shine light on an old problem in Liberia on classicism and discrimination perpetuated by the settler community (America Liberians) Tribal languages were discouraged around the settler community. It was very overt and it’s sad that, that group refuses to own up to their transgressions. This is the genesis of the situation in Liberia . 0:44
Wow, thank you for this video. I have always wanted to visit Liberia, my mother and I are often asked if we are Liberian by native Liberians in the US, thus sparking an interest in your country. Thanks again for the video I can't wait to see more.
@@SheSpeaksToo You are welcome. No ma'am, I have not thought much about it but I may see if I can talk my mother into taking one. Thanks again for the videos.
I'm Nigerian. The problem is Africans and black people around the world always want to go the emotional route and not the strategic route. Lebanese discriminating in Liberia (or Nigeria or wherever), imagine that. Is the Liberian diaspora willing to band together to shame such an establishment? Or lobby their government for policy prioritizing citizens over foreigners? Or protest in front of the shop like we happy to do in the US but not at homes? You don't want to mention their name, why? They have no incentive to stop. Instead, we're always "hoping". Also, other people want to "shine and be new" and we have to help them. If you see a new car, you're not asking about the quality. You'll take it over an old car. That's human nature. Anyway good video.
Thanks for watching. Before making this video, I decided I wasn't going to name the businesses involved. I responded just as I would have in the US. I removed myself and my coins from the establishment. Also, the government can make laws but they can't change mindsets. It's up to Liberians to have a sense of self worth in order not to accept certain kinds of treatment. No law or lobbying can make that happen.
Let us keep praying for good leader and let us love our self than, what suffering us is haturness.let us love our self.we Liberians we hate each other especially when we own a little things.we don't value our friends.
You should have put that Middle Eastern ice cream shop on blast on instagram and facebook and just tell the truth and let the people give them a taste of their own medicine
She taught giving you her native name would disqualify her for the job. You can’t blame her. Use that situation to teach her. She doesn’t know what you know 😊❤
That's exactly what she thought. I was fairly new in LIB but I tried to make her feel comfortable about her heritage. Lol she's long been fired for other things.
I don't understand why black Africans don't demand respect in their own countries . Being black you can't treat Arabs or Europeans or Asians badly in their countries
@@SheSpeaksToo thank you thank you I’m looking forward to coming to your country are you from the west and any information to make the transition simpler would be highly appreciate it. Thank you in advance for your consideration take care.
Listening to that story of the way they treat you at that ice cream shop make you sad and mad. However, we Liberians should open our own businesses and leave this plenty politics!🎉 shalom
I didn't address the issue and give them a chance to rectify. So I'm not naming them. But you said in a separate statement that you don't patronize Lebanese establishments. This is a Lebanese establishment.
You implied in your description of the Ice Cream episode that these Foreigners were speaking in a different language, like you said they may have been friends or family of the owner. It is normal in either N'ice Cream or Cremeria to have customers pay before eating their ice cream, just like America. As to the foreign privilege , you are a hundred percent right, it's not Liberia it's an African thing, every time they see a foreigner they can't keep all thirty two from showing. But that goes for big shots too, the laws and rules do not apply, so maybe it's a case of money and power. As to loans in Liberia usually if you have collateral you can get a loan , I have multiple times. Classism , that's normal in every society good or bad. Those grocery workers also know that to the average Liberian tipping is not a thing they do, so they only look to where they can find reward. However much of what you say is true to Africa or any third world nation in the world be it Asia or South America. Out of curiosity, how were you able to look up the name of the girl on FB? Great piece.
We are faced with white privilege here in the States. It's sad to see that we have to face foreign privilege in our own country. I had a patient tell me that he did not want me to treat him as I was black. I walked out of the patient's room to the nursing station and asked my supervisor to send a white nurse in to the patient. My supervisor was white. She went to the patient room and told him that I am an excellent nurse and was the only one available to treat him. I let racism and white privilege experiences roll off my back as I am in another country and don't want to start trouble. It's a different story when it happens to you in your own country. I am so sorry that you had to go through that experience.
As a fellow nurse, I hate that you had that experience but I'm glad that your supervisor stood up for you. I've heard of instances where management did nothing. Foolish of me to not anticipate racism in my own country. But now I'm better equipped to handle and say something.
I love listening to you and suppose to come to Liberia for the peace corps on 2023 been trying to educate myself..I listened to your racist story..I just wanted to ask something...like with the way Liberia is from what I have researched ..maybe they just didn't think you would pay for real because of tales they have heard ..or experience ..but I do feel your pain ....but sometimes places get bad reputation ..but it's up to us to break these generational curses
Thank you for watching and I definitely appreciate your input. Also, very exciting that you may be coming to Liberia in 2023. I have to disagree with the theory of the vendor having an experience with Liberians not paying so he now institutes a rule that Liberians have to pay first. If that is the case, then he should close his establishment to Liberians and only service those of foreign descent that he assumes will pay after they eat. He should not continue to take money from hardworking Liberians if they can't be trusted. As I stated in the video, he gave preferential treatment to people of foreign descent who were right in front of me. I will not accept an excuse for racist behavior or foreign privilege in my own country.
@@SheSpeaksToo I truly understand trust me I do..I just feel like this happens all over just different ways. But it's good to be open to everything..if it was the case you know .I hate it happens but it does...I've seen it here as well in so many different ways I think it's just something humans are doing were taught ..it's generational to me .. I feel like people just need to treat people right
If you watched the video, the racism mention here was from non black foreigners to native born Liberians. What I talked about that is prevalent between Liberians is Classism. Actually, Liberians are not xenophobic (having prejudice against people from other countries), which is the true meaning of xenophobia.
@@SheSpeaksToo Pink Berry is Liberian, Shark is Liberian. Also don't forget some people from America started this attitude in Liberia. It is just the seeds that they planted that are now bearing fruits. I am saying this because I just like you. I am particularly Kru. Please see this a lesson we all learned.
A friend of mine (Liberian) wanted to lease a shop in the airport when it was just about open, got the loan for a deposit and all... the people (Liberians) in charge of leasing gave the lease to a foreign person because my friend didn't have additional $5,000 or so to put in their pockets as they call it.😐
my first time experiencing anything like this was in new kru town watch some kru people cussing kepelle man and calling him all type of thing but i really didn’t understand the history behind it
Foreign priviledge? I was in Liberia to start a trucking company but when it came time to purchase the land, I was told "You need to have black persons name on the deed, since you are white, you can't own land in Liberia". I was also treated very coldly by all of the restaurant servers every time we went to eat but this may be due to the fact that I took Liberians with me.
What you described is a longstanding Liberian law. One should research any country they intend to start a business in. This video is about foreign privilege as it relates to human relationships and my experience in Liberia.
@@mansamusa9465 In my country anyone can own property regardless of citizenship, race, creed, or color. I have been told by some of your government officials that Liberia is working to change these racist laws in order to encourage foreign investment.
You should say the name of the establishment he's in Liberia making money off the liberian people and disrespecting them the money is good for him but the people are not !.?
I agree. Don't take my money and I still disrespect me. I'm thinking I will go back and see if there's a change. If no change, then I will address management then also share the name.
Before I did the video, I decided I would not name the business. In my opinion, if I haven't addressed this with management and given them a chance to rectify it, then I shouldn't name them. Every Liberian has a choice to either patronize them or not based on the service they receive. You or another person, can also address them or out them if they feel it necessary.
@@SheSpeaksToo I’ve dealt with a lot of disrespectful Lebanese in the past when I visited family in Ghana, you have to be willing to cause havoc and call them out for change to happen. You live in America if the African Americans of past were scared to call injustice out, guaranteed you wouldn’t have the job and freedoms you have now!
The other side to the classism thing is automatically feeling entitled to respect, clout, admiration, and everything that goes along with it only because of your "good name" or family affiliation--even when the apples have fallen oh so very far from the tree. I thought it was so funny to be stopped in the supermarket by an older Liberian woman who was eager to know my mother's last name. On the surface, it's to gauge if she knew of my mother (Liberia is small and was even smaller back then), but dig just a layer deep and it's also about if she knew "the family" because only certain families or individuals from certain families frequent certain social spaces or events. Another way of asking for my tribe lol. Similar to a white person in America wondering how in the world wonder a black person could have possibly graduated from Harvard or could possibly vacation in Martha Vineyard, or whatever other activity is associated with the upper class read: white in America...(although the more you travel and see, there are tons of poor white Americans lol. In Liberia though, I wonder about children or people just unfortunate /fortunate enough to have a name but themselves not fitting into the expected stereotype of success and glory that old Liberia might have afforded them. We attached so much to those damn names. So much to family affiliation vs. INTEGRITY like you said and if people were just decent people... Yes, Liberia has designer family names... akin to the Kennedys in the US ... and if you don't have one of them you'll find that it's like crabs in a bucket with people trying to befriend or find some kind of family linkage to any of them STILL I was once told by friends that I was an Americo-Liberian (not because I had any family ancestry) because my social class (salary, social activities, etc.) made it so... and to the average Liberian rushing to help me in the supermarket and not someone else, I might as well be. There is a huge difference between being Liberian-American and being Americo-Liberian and that is a story for another day lol. At the end of the day it comes down to the HAVES and the HAVE NOTs and Liberians still attach that to skin color first and then how far out of Liberia you have lived and for how long.
Yes, give the icecream place another chance :) Overall what I have seen over there, they treat poor people like trash. As if they aren't human. Maybe not all of them do that, but that's what I've seen. Some people are very mouthy and aggressive over there. I went to an ice cream place in Liberia. I think it was in Sinkor. I am not Liberian, but they had me pay first. Usually, black ladies would serve me. I used to go there quite a bit. There came a time when I didn't have to pay until I was ready to leave. What you've experienced could have been racism. I don't know Liberia as well as you. Some of those Lebanese people may have preconceived thoughts about black people in general. I have seen some things in Liberia. From what I have found, it is probably best to not trust too many people there. For instance, let's say I have a business in Liberia. If I know everyone who is currently wearing a red shirt has a higher possibility to steal, of course, I may pay more attention to them than others who are wearing blue. Why? For this example, the people with a red shirt have a higher possibility to steal. This may be very inconvenient for some, but it may be necessary depending on where you live. Sometimes we may have to go through certain things because of people who chose to do wrong before us. It is very unfortunate.
@D&3A Farm I understand your point but I think everyone should form their own opinion. If I had addressed the situation with them and it still wasn't rectified, I would have named them. Because I didn't give them a chance to fix the situation, I don't feel comfortable displaying their name.
It's tough to say. Maybe racism but maybe he knew them? Since this video is on Liberia and racism I'd be curious to know if Liberia still has that racist law the prevents non-black people from getting citizenship?
It maybe tough to someone listening to my story but it was very clear to me experiencing it. I know what I experienced was racism. Yes, Liberia law only allows those of African descent to become citizens, if that's the "racist" law you're referring to.
@@SheSpeaksToo "if that's the "racist" law you're referring to." is the law African in origin of specifically black in color? If America had a law that only allowed white people citizenship that would be racism. So why are you putting 'racist" law in quotes? Don't you believe the Liberian law that discriminates specifically on race isn't implicitly racist?
I think you misread the title and purpose of this video. This is not about historical laws of Liberia. This video is about racism, classism, and foreign privilege as I have experienced in Liberia. I even put "my my my" experience 3 times in the thumbnail for those with comprehension issues. I simply answered your question regarding whether this so called "racist" law still exists, not to debate about it. I encourage you to make your own video about the presumed ills of that law.
@@SheSpeaksToo I am not very familiar with Liberia. There are not a lot of youtube videos on racism in Liberia. I ask you on the seemingly racist citizenship law since you were speaking about Liberia and racism. (albeit in a different context) I'm asking a question about your views on the matter.. You once again put "racist' in quotes. Are you arguing a law that discriminates on who gets citizenship based on race isn't implicitly racist? Or does the law allow non-black people to get Liberian citizenship? Or that you are unfamiliar with the law?
@@SheSpeaksToo "This video is about racism, classism, and foreign privilege as I have experienced in Liberia." Wouldn't a Liberian law that only gives citizenship to black people be a form of racial privilege in Liberia? State laws and thus behaviors that discriminate based on race are racist are they not?
The free slaves, lol. Try return or repatriate Africans. But you're saying some real things there oh. I tell you: when I was a small boy, I saw one Lebanese fellow slap one oldma for free - nothing came out of it.
