On the Eve of History (Again)

For Keyan and Tyne

In November 2005, on the eve of Liberia's historic election that would give the world Africa's first female President, I wrote of change and of hope for a rise to the challenge of a new beginning.

Tonight, I am in the USA, and the whole country -- perhaps the whole world -- is in a state of heightened anticipation as we await tomorrow's historic election for the next American President.

I'm not going to be cautious and use phrases like "Whoever wins..." or "Whatever the results...." I know Barack Obama is going to win. And so I sit here tonight, in awe of the enormity of this fact, and of what it means for the country and for my children. Like Obama, my sons have one black African parent and one white American parent. In their father's country they will have a President who looks like they do, and in their mother's country (where they have lived all their lives up to now) they have seen Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf lead a nation out of the ashes of war. When Obama takes office, not only are we going to have a much better America (Obama is the change we need) but my African-American sons are going to grow up with amazing role models who already show them that there is no glass ceiling that cannot be shattered.



Yes, we are on the eve of history again, and so again I pray that we will welcome change and rise to the challenge of a new beginning.

President Sirleaf Receives Redemption Road

At my first book signings, when people asked how I got President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to write the Foreword for Redemption Road, I told them I simply asked, and she was happy to do it. Not only does she have an appreciation for literature and the arts, but Liberian women have a tradition of helping each other.

Recently, I saw a clip from President Sirleaf's Inauguration, which I attended in 2006, and was reminded of her promise to all Liberian women: "My administration shall endeavor to give Liberian women prominence in all affairs of our country," she said that day. "We will empower Liberian women in all areas of our national life." Presenting copies of Redemption Road to Her Excellency today, and discussing our hopes for healing the nation through storytelling and drama, was a most uplifting experience. Thank you, Madame President, for your great vision and for a promise kept.





Press Release about our visit on the Executive Mansion website

A Review in Jamati Online

Liberian Author Travels With Her People Down Redemption Road

by Awo Sarpong Ansu

Not many first novels feature a foreword by the President of the author's country. But Liberian author Elma Shaw's Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia, opens with a Foreword by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. An endorsement of such gravitas puts a lot of pressure on a book to be good, and Redemption Road more than meets the challenge. Redemption Road is the recounting of Liberia's process of healing from the wounds of its civil war and the efforts of the nation and its people to rebuild themselves individually and collectively. Through the eyes of fictional characters who speak the truth of what Liberians experienced during the war and its aftermath, Ms. Shaw shows that she truly understands the restorative power of words. Ms. Shaw spoke to Jamati and other attendees of her book discussion at The Culture Shop in Washington, D.C. about her inspiration and hopes for Redemption Road. read more...