Clothing and Corruption in Liberia | States of Undress | Refinery29
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 เม.ย. 2023
- Hailey meets the Americo-Liberians who are trying to shake Liberia out of a cultural coma by hosting “Fashion Week Liberia.”
This video was originally published by VICE in 2017.
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They should have invited those girls Agatha and princess to the fashion show 😢 they are absolutely gorgeous and look like models ❤️
As an African American woman, I can’t help but feel like the history of Liberia is eerily similar to the history of Israel. We don’t see it as settler colonialism because of our skin complexion, but the elitism of the Americo-Liberians saying they can take advantage of the lack of resources to build their own businesses while the natives are in crippling poverty is no different than the Israeli people commenting on their quality of life while the Palestinians are suffering.
What's kind of funny to me is there are many Palestinians living and thriving in Israel… So it to me it says more about Palestine and how they've allowed their country to operate and be controlled by Hamas than anything else
So are you saying African Americans have much more opportunities than native Liberians?
As an Afro-American man, I agree. Both the ancestors of the Jews and Afro-Americans were displaced from their homeland (Palestine, Africa) and oppressed in their new environment (ghetto/pogroms/exile, slavery/segregation), and in a quest for self-determination and freedom, some of their descendants settle imagined motherland which is in fact inhabited by other people and unfortunately emulate the structures of European colonialism/nationalism/imperialism that they had internalized from their own long period of oppression under them. Just like with many Jews in the Diaspora today, there were many Afro-Americans who both supported and opposed Liberian colonization.
I think the difference in Afro-American repatriation from then to now, where some Afro-American are returning to elsewhere in Africa (like Ghana) and integrating themselves into the local structure and working with the native people rather than seizing power, could help us imagine an analogous alternative where Jews fleeing continued anti-Semitism and white supremacy could ethically return to their ancestral home and rebuild their lives among the native Palestinian population rather than subjugate them to "make room". I pray for such a feature 🙏
@@CrustyUggActually, you’re not taking some important information into account. The situation of Arabs citizens of Israel is very different than that of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation on the West Bank and, before 2005, in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians in the occupied territories haven’t had the legal rights or the economic opportunity that Arab-Israelis enjoy.
For instance, the Israeli occupation of Gaza “shifted the labor force away from developing domestic agriculture and industry towards labor-intensive subcontracting jobs supporting Israeli industry in addition to unskilled labor jobs in Israel itself. Notably, the Israeli government barred Palestinians of Gaza from taking white-collar roles in public services (with the exception of services such as street cleaning).”[Moshe Semyonov and Noah Lewin-Epstein, Hewers of Wood And Drawers of Water: Noncitizen Arabs in the Israeli Labor Market (New York: New York School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, 1987), pp. 27-29; Kimmerling, Zionism and Economy (Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Publishing Co.. Inc., 1983) pp. 60-61.]
Is the same narrative all over the world colonizer’s play book
I don’t think the government double booked the venue. If the fashion week people hadn’t shown up *three hours late* there wouldn’t have been a problem.
That's the whole point to create this Tale of Two Sides. Children of the Truwhig versus the Natives. Yts are devils and we suck it all up. CIA cowards
With you on that. Literally just coming to the comments to see if I was the only one. And then they take the generators with them so the people who waited all night can’t do their event anyways. I feel like…. The two fashion week chicks probably don’t have many friends because.. well they’re kind of cunts but whatever lol
Exactly, because they had the money,they felt entitled and think they have more power,
I feel like the host of this video did more for Liberia than they ever did,they are looking for ways to make money,no compassion at all.
The fashion stylist had more compassion than the organizers of the fashion week.
I agree partially. It seems as the delays were due to the infrastructure issues. It also seems that the age old issue of Americo Liberian privilege reared its head. They were Abe to walk into the Police Headquarters because one had the surname of Tolbert. The fashion show participants seemed to be more connected to the Americo Liberian community. If they were connected to gronnah and other local communities, they would have known about the beauty pageant and should have combined efforts into one show. This would have promoted unity between various communities. The pageant had more attendees and seemed to have show case Liberian culture more than the fashion show. Last, if they couldn't reuse the wiring, it would take more effort to remove it than to leave it in place.
@@Bklyn112 Ghana Woman, you guys sacked your President Kwame Nkrumah so you can't talk about what the Tolbert Family who has been erased from History due to the brutal murders of their families by the CIA who paid some ignorant army men who saw the same fate 10 years later by the same CIA hired Hand in Taylor. Now you mean to tell me as many prominate Liberians living in the U.S. with the First African Harvard Graduate in Wolo and Presidnet Weah couldn't assist with government funds to secure that venue. These Girls were setup to do a hit piece pitting the socalled Native people against the former Native Enslaved first on West African shores and then in the Americas. Our African Chiefs schooled in Liverpool, had offspring with with Europeans and gladly sold slaves to build the West. When are we going to stop blaming the returnees and when will the Jealousy end.
The American woman who owns the clothing company is helping Liberian women, but most of all she is helping herself. $680 US dollars per year is the average Liberian salary.
Agatha is not only stunning but completely captivating- love this series so much
Yess she should have been on the fashion show aswell
She’s so beautiful, she could be a model in the West for sure
She and princess really made me cry,I hope they are doing better right now
You understand she's my woman, yes? I can see why he's being so bold about that. Very fly.
Natural beauty at its finest.
Cool perspective, thank you. The American girls' perspective is disappointing but not altogether surprising; when they realize that Liberia doesn't have Starbucks and Chipotle, they see opportunity to make money there. A less predatory perspective might be to explore and learn about the coffee and food options which locals already offer. Colonial ultra-capitalist mindset American-style.
They knew the venue was double booked. That’s why they brought the police there to keep the pageant people out. Also those police officers will be getting something for their time. Eg; a bribe... Also why wouldn’t you go and look over the venue a week before. Not on the day of? The look on the guests faces when it finishes at 1am and she says “it’s a success” 😂
This documentary showed the privilege of the American women more than anything else IMO. The venue wasn’t double booked, they started 3 hours late then had their parents “negotiate “ for them to stay later, which pushed the pageant back. Would have been interesting to see how much their parents paid.
They really could have left the electrical wiring and stayed for the pageant too but I guess that wouldn’t “benefit” them.
Man, I felt so bad for those girls at the beach when she asked, “do you know there’s a fashion week?” and she said no 😢 26:22
😢😢😢
I can't bring myself to stop crying,when I watched their scene, I'm rich but people like her want to make me do better in life so I can help people in need.
Agatha could be an international model. She's got it!
Seems their corruption stems from privilege of power. How counterproductive to throw a fashion week and refuse the native Liberians who were robbed of their event a chance to attend fashion week. All claims to grow a culture but lets seclude the unfortunate those Americans are whats wrong with America. Beautiful documentary. Togetherness is not that hard to achieve, they would of had a bad ass time if they would have collaborated with the pageant. Just my opinion.
I totally agree with you
There's Alot wrong with this video, starting from the history of Liberia,the civil war,the fashion week organizers, princess and Agatha,and the beauty pageant show people who were left outside.
My parents are Sierra Leonean and after visiting family in 2022 and 2023, I feel like the corruption partially stems from everyone suffering from untreated PTSD.
The general populace being able to make a living wage would also go a long way to prevent corruption as well.
When Gaddafi ran Libya, the government nationalized all of the natural resources and gave every resident a living wage so everyone there had a higher standard of living than most Americans at that time.
Every African nation should use this distribution of wealth as a model.
I hope that the African continent will be able to kick the multinationals out in the next decade or so and create an interdependence amongst themselves.
Speaking it into existence!
Guruuvy - The per capita income in Libya rose to $11,000, which was the 5th highest in Africa at the time. That didn’t even come close to the per capita income in America during that period. Admittedly, $11k goes much further in Libya than it does in America, but it still did not result in the average Libyan enjoying a higher standard of living than did most Americans. Hyperbole!
@@MrOu83 I'm sure they didn't let Gaddafi live to properly implement the whole process.
I agree in principle, but they should have opened it at the beginning. People getting ready for a beauty pageant might probably be drinking already in the parking lot. (My people would.) The beauty pageant can be more wild than they fashion show. So yes invite them, but beforehand, so they're not wasted and going off in the audience. Or just keep the drunk ppl out, but then you have to be checking everyone.
My mom told me during the war, the rebels slaughtered her baby brother in front of her. She had to hide in busses often. I was born in Monrovia, but my family was able to come to the US in 2000. I desire to return since I have not been ever since coming.
❤️🕊️
Hey family, Black African American here from South Carolina....
There were more people at the pageant than the fashion show 😂
The shallowness of the lady thinking, she's not buying from china but buying from the lady down waterside who get's the fabric from Asia where it's printed and reselling to her 🤣
Exactly 😂😂
True but she is buying from the local woman not a big importer
I hate that I took us history almost every year of my public school education and never heard mention of the colonization society and the US connection to Liberia
You didn't know the US colonized Liberia? I'm not American or Liberian and I know.
Liberian was never colonized we’ve been independent
@@waymilky442 Liberian was never colonized we’ve been independent
I know, we never learned it either!
I’m old and American and we learned this in school in the 1980s!
I liked this documentary until the end . She had such a bratty attitude . She obviously bribed the police to stay there to keep the pageant people out . Why else would she have them there ?
when carnetta said "oh wow" I was like "oh wow" and then I laughed because that's exactly how Americans talk 😄🥰
I think this documentary highlights an issue that gets almost no air time. Many 2nd gen immigrants in the USA might not feel American but are perceived as American when they go abroad to their home countries. They are welcomed as a priviledged class who have a wide influence and can move with more ease than the average resident. I imagine how much friction this causes particularly in developing countries like Liberia.
100%
Do we blame the displaced 2nd gen immigrants for leaning into this or the locals for making them feel that way?
@@NicotineftCoffeeFlavoredWater the locals are not be blame for sure,you see how hard it's for an average Liberian to survive,did you see what the americo Liberian did at the end of this video, shows how money makes you feel entitled and powerful,she didn't care that another organizers had a show later around 9, people were outside waiting, it wasn't as if the owner of the building did not tell her,they told her.
The problem here is not about blaming anyone,the shows how the rich doesn't care about anyone but themselves,they only care about how to make more money and a name for themselves
Did you hear later in the video when she said,our parents negotiated everything,
So much privilege because of money,I don't blame them, it's the government,I blame everything government officials in Africa
@@princessugwu1998 Not sure i understand your points. Mine was simple, the only reason these people feel any sort of entitlement is because they are looked up to by the locals when they come back home. If they were treated how they treat others or as who they actually are they wont have any sense of entitlement
@@princessugwu1998 blaming the government for what? What makes up the government? Yoy do sound like most liberians who ambiguously blames everything on bad governance until we all realize we are all a part of the problem and make changes in our mindsets and personal lives shit will never change
I love how you've captured the essence of Liberia and its citizens. Interviewing the two beautiful young ladies at West Point, I hope she becomes her dream (model). The other young lady aspiring to be a lawyer, I pray she becomes it. Liberia needs more lawyers. This is a lovely piece of work, I pray it gains the attention of the African diaspora in rebuilding this beautiful country. Plus, your look in the African wear was very elegant.
This video is about seven years old. You may be able to look up for an update.
What a great peek inside the plight and courage of Liberians. All of my thoughts and hopes for the country and people of Liberia... Wish them success and happiness after such hard times.
I just moved back home to Liberia after living in America for over 30 years ❤❤😊
How has your transition been?
I would love to see follow up on these series, Hailey coming back to these places, to see what's changed in the last 7 years
Wow! I did not know the documentary was that old. Hopefully there has been improvement in Liberia. The country really needs a lot of basic infrastructure investment and development. That venue did not even have running water.
I am impress with the resilient of the ladies and the patterns on the cloths..made locally
Oh gosh this is in 2016. I hope they are thriving now.
I don't know if I'm allowed to have an opinion but it makes me feel uneasy that the Americoliberians were removed from the civil war, seem to know privilege, return to Liberia to capitalize upon the new beginning. It just hurts my heart a little bit because the civil war meant bodies in the streets, people eating people, children doing heroine and killing people... I dunno. It's just hard to watch American types employing people there.
All that talk about empowerment and unity and at the end of the day she is taking all her wiring and lights with her. But wait she’s not trying to be mean or anything. Wow, that was very telling. I have a suggestion, what about talking to them negotiating a a resolution and perhaps helping each other out so that both events can end on a high note. After all no man is an island and you win together.
frrrr
The beginning gave me the ick for them going to the police and taking advantage of them…
I agree on these,there are the root of corruption,I was more shocked when she said our parents negotiated everything.
They are living off their family names.
This series is the best!!! Please upload all episodes!!!
I am absolutely in love with this You Tube series. The research is amazing.❤🎉
Hope these girls get rich over there offering services & goods previously unavailable. Doing 2 countries like these girls is a great way to find business opportunities, as she eloquently said.
The Fashion Week was not for The Librarians rather it was for the afro librarians with all due respect it served no purpose at all Liberia's problems and growth far surpasses the dreams afro Liberian girls that what to Showcase Liberia as the fashion Mecca .
the two young ladies knew that the venue was double-booked their influential parents did back door deals with the government it is hard for me to understand that the ladies did not go and check out the venue to make sure that the bare essentials such needed as running water was available
When she told Hailey “I’m taking the wiring and generators with me” I knew they were full of it. That was so entitled and elitist to say.
@@sxt4447 What did you expect them to do? Leave their wiring and generators for someone else to walk off with? 🤣🤣
Amazing how we Americans are always enlighten by a smile. I love it. Your videos are well illustrated, informative, interesting and conducted very gracefully by you. I enjoy them a lot. Congrats!
This was a good mini documentary. I say mini because this segment could have gone deeper and more into what is going on with the country.
It's about fashion, though. There are so many docs about Liberia's history.
“We go out on the street and have sex for money” - The look on the presenter’s face when the girl said this. 😳
The pageant look like the most fun. Turnt up! Real way! 😅
Documentary needs more indigenous Liberians featured. Though maybe some of these people are indigenous speaking English. Hard to know who is an American Liberian and who is indigenous. You can only guess by the accents.
There does. Especially if they’re trying to make a fashion show to celebrate our culture. But don’t show native culture is very wrong
I'm telling you!!!
Incredible series/episode. That was a very hard and uncomfortable ending to watch - I wish those young women tried to work together with the organizers of the pageant.
Hypocritical compared to what they preach at the start: literally used the cops to prevent empowering, inspiring, unifying as they claim at 4:35
Exactly, they used their lineage and then being Americans as the trump card.
Not everyday, you see a clip of a firing squad in action. Disturbing, but at the same time it provides a significant eye-view into the country's political history.
I love this series so much. I hope more video will be released with Hailey in the future.
right this one is like 7 years old does she still even do these?
@@cintiapollock2486no :( I wish! Looks like she’s directing a movie.
This was so good. Thank you for uploading. ❤
The American Colonization didn’t come up with the idea, the British already was taking free Black Americans to Sierra Leone due to racial tension in their Nova Scotia colony.
I always credit the British for the migration and racism arising from it.
Agatha is so pretty she could be a model😊
Fascinating peek at what so few let us know about Africa.... it IS moving forward with the drive of these young people for a better world, I see a brighter future! All the best!
i love that fashion unites the world 💕 thank you for sharing! this is my favorite series
The word "devil" is being used instead of spirit or traditional mask. A crude translation for a foreigner.
Her attitude at the end was trash 🗑️
So disgusting!!!!!!
So true. Ewwww. She is acting foul towards the wrong damn people, stuck up snob.
I just finished watching this video but ended up crying,this is how bad Africans are!
Don't get me wrong, I'm african too
I'm really sad for princess and agatha, where ever you are right now,i hope you ve found peace,i hope there are both doing better in life
The organizers of the fashion week are entitled rich people,her actions at the end left me speechless.
The freed slaves from American should have stayed back in America,i used to be a big fan of "all African slaves should return to Africa"movement but looking at the history of liberia in this video has given a broad insight of their history,the Americo Liberian fighting for political was so wrong,the civil war makes it even worse.
African leaders will always be our problem,we black people don't love each other right from beginning of time, remember african leaders sold african slaves to Europeans,we are the cost of our problem.
I hope to visit Liberia someday.
I mean, what do you expect from people whose forefathers confiscated power for over 100 years while treating the indigenous population like 2nd class citizens! This is so disappointing.
This is quality video thanks for the upload 👌♥️
Last comment from me: The Taylor senator said they need to stop corruption from the top down; true. But if you know that the govt isn't paying the ppl at the bottom enough, including the cops, well you need to put more money into that first. Worry about image yes, but first, pay your people. That will help to clear out the corruption.
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I just became one of your subscribers. I'm a Liberian American living in the US and that hand shake is not the Liberian signature hand shake, he lied to you.
The class dynamics are fascinating. #CapitalismSucks
Everyone always looks through the lens of race, but it's Class/Culture
All this happened to the British Isles over the period of 2000 years and there is STILL animosity
@@hollynonya6991If the country is homogenous racially, racism wont be an issue. But tribalism could be an issue. Classism is probably in every country.
I love love LOVE this series
This was such an interesting watch
I was so glad I came across this. I visited Liberia with my grandparents in 1989, just months before the war. I was 9 at the time. I met so many amazing people. My grandparents had been missionaries in Liberia starting in the 50s. My grandma was the first white woman in some of the bush. My mother was born in Monrovia, and my uncle in the bush. My grandfather knew President Tolbert during his time there. I am happy to hear Liberia is rebuilding a bit. They deserve peace and prosperity.
I have sewing machine ENVY and MERCIFUL HEAVENS those GLORIOUS fabrics!
I'm fairly positive my Grandma has that exact iron at 28:42. I wonder where she got it
A quarter in at the moment, I like what I see. Thanks for producing. Very pretty young ladies too.
Very interesting!
I’m americo Liberian and kpelle Liberian
Oh, damn! That was a good question about if Taylor gives her advice!
Amazing highlight !
Wow i did not know anything about Liberia before this 🤯
Ok it was a little cringe to start but bearable, up until who ever did the transcribing or translation of that one lady's statement, completely missed what she said. she said "I was up in the interior" which means she was out in the country outside of Monrovia. The whole thing really seemed out of touch and the producers could have worked with unbiased intelligent persons to help give this more depth.
I'm half Liberian, grew up in Liberia, still have family in Liberia, but also lived in the US and other countries world wide.
The picture with the family and the girl bare chested girl is actually a picture of a prominent Benin indigenous family. They are not of Black American Stock.
Agatha is gorgeous
What a Wonderful Fashion Show
why are these older videos being reposted?? this is from 2017 !
The lack of compassion in the fashion show's promoters! So disgusting
obviously women are the future of this country and continent. Finally...
Never
@@FashionGeek_Chi everyone sees that the guys don‘t achieve anything🤷🏼♀️Even if you don‘t like it
@@Tanguy63ify Yeah, because a fashion show is the pinnacle of nation building #girlboss
who needs to build schools amirte
Don’t bring your feminist attitude to Africa. We like masculinity and femininity too.
the house at sugar beach is a really good book if you wanna hear about the civil war more from the perspective of an americo liberian
She looks like the main actress from Pirates of Carribean, Dead men tell no tales. Pretty cute.
😎 Nice take.
except they send them to a country that was not theirs ... other people used to live there .... for me liberia is like Israel
Agatha and Princess are so beautiful, wow ❤
Beautiful Liberia will be what it’s destined to be ❤❤❤I love you Liberian with all my heart and soul from the U.S.A, I am sorry that the America supported war in your country
When did America support Liberian war stop lying on America. America has helped Liberia so many times I know I’m Liberian
@@princessc660 Well...if you listen to the TRC reports the general concesus across the board is that the coup plotters in 1980 had outside 'help'. Also Charles Taylor said he had 'help' from the CIA in escaping prison before going back to Liberia to stage the war. Without these key events, there would've been no Civil War in Liberia.
I love the people from Africa and the people from Liberia are so gentle so beautiful but again you’ll find beautiful and gentle people everywhere in the world for that matter, but Africa has something special because I believe people are not pretentious
My family from South Carolina..
I’m related to the first president of Liberia, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, who came from Virginia. A free black family. My family remained in Virginia but it’s also a big family that can be traced back as free people since the 1600s Virginia. Although I know this, I don’t know much about the history after that period. It’s interesting to watch this and realize the effects of slavery and this movement. It’s obviously both a source of pride and also bittersweet due to the tumultuous history. Thank you.
So no one told you that your people (Américo-Liberian) were sent to Liberia to confiscate power for over 100 years while treating the indigenous population like 2nd class citizens?
Hi, if you’re ever interested in knowing more about Liberian history. There is a channel on TH-cam called “Focus on Liberia”. They have a segment called “the Liberian History Channel” where they discuss the real history of Liberia and they’ve even covered Joseph Jenkins Robert’s background and journey from Virginia to Liberia and how he became the first president. He was a brilliant man🤍
th-cam.com/users/liveGrO7zJJJ9Cs?si=8zhjS9DKf7fFn1wi
th-cam.com/users/liveGrO7zJJJ9Cs?feature=shared
cool, thank you!@@matennehhalima2924
Indigenous Liberians have names.
A perfect example of an early start.
Am sitting here wondering 💭 🤔 if the Tolbert men are related to me 😂. Am from USA South Carolina.
Why would they take the wires down after all the time it took to wire the place . If she’s taking the gasoline that’s one thing but why deliberately let them have to rewire the place after staying so long over the time that you booked the venue for .
Seris I think I spelt it wrong means American English
These were Liberians period. All the settlers became indigenous overtime. Just because you’re educated and have prominence doesn’t mean you weren’t indigenous. In fact many of the Powerful chiefs children signed treaties to school in the United States all while Black people were still enslaved in the U.S. Many of the indigenous were apart of the ruling class
Wow... tailor lost business to foreign nation is sickening.
Haley Gates is cool.
Watching in 2024, I wish they could've just combine the event..
Miracle even found a police officer
They didn't "clash" with the native Liberians they enslaved them.
Liberian woman are beautiful ❤
Bombshell is located in Atlanta GA as well.
This is March 2024. I have a deep connection with Liberia since 1974. My roommate from college is from Liberia. She was the second cousin of the President who was assassinated in 1977. I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting President William Tolbert. He gave me their Liberian "V" ring of which I cherish to this day. I think the first mistake in this fashion show is that a white women was in the forefront. If her money sponsored the event she should have taken a backseat and gave advice from the background. The tickets were also too expensive. I love Liberia and was robbed of the chance to visit due to the civil war happening in real time as my roommate was at my home in the USA watching her country be destroyed. As of this day I want to help any Liberian Women that is trying to come to America. If the women has a husband and children it will be fine with me but there are too many single women with children from Liberia that need help and I will help them. Our borders are flooded with people from all over the globe and Liberians are among them.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
USA 🇺🇲 LIBERIA 🇱🇷 ALSO HAS A US BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY IN THE CENTRAL PART OF LIBERIA?
OVER FIVE US AMBASSADORS HAVE DIED WHO ALSO HAPPENED TO OF BEEN CHEMIST? "COINCIDENCE" ?
So she wants to make a difference in her country but she doesn’t want to let these people who paid. To have their pageant? The corruption and privilege doesn’t seem to end :/
The American Colonization Society
I don't think she wanted to braid ir hair, I bet she was saying she would braid hair as work
I met someone great from uber. But i lost my phone never hewrd from her ahain 😮
Do they have libraries in Liberia? And, what do they call librarians in Liberian libraries? This is just my brain freewheeling....
yeah they are called Liberian Library Librarians
😍
Place of discomfort ... please you have a house and a pool ....