Today, August 24, 2023, Liberians are celebrating their country’s National Flag Day, the nation’s tricolor flag was raised for the first time. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 26, 1847 and the national ensign was hoisted a month later, bearing 11 stripes (six red and five white alternating) and a single star in a blue field.
The original flag of Liberia was introduced on April 9, 1827. The flag was based on the flag of the United States, as Liberia was still an American colony at the time. Its flag contained 13 red and white horizontal stripes. Red represented courage and white signified national confidence
The flag of Liberia was designed and hand-stitched by a committee of seven women. The chair of the committee was Susannah Elizabeth Lewis. The other members of the committee were Matilda Newport, Rachel Johnson, Mary Hunter, Mrs. J. B. Russwurm, Colonette Teage Ellis, and Sara Draper.
The holiday was first observed in an 1847 convention, when the founding fathers approved the flag’s design along with establishing the new republic. It was established as a national holiday in 1915. Established in 1883, this is a day for prayer to thank God for being born in a free country.
According to custom and tradition, white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
The eleven stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence and the red and white symbolize courage and moral excellence. The white star represents the first independent republic in Africa, above the blue square representing the African continent.
Wantoe Wantoe, a Liberian youth activist pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Oxford’s Pembroke College and Blavatnik School of Government, has been selected by the Ministry of Education to serve as the national orator for the 176th Flag Day celebration.
The decision, according to the ministry, was triggered by his distinctive portfolio, outstanding successes and influence on youth-focused programs in Liberia and the world.
“As Liberians set to commemorate Liberia’s 176th Flag Day across the Country, the Ministry of Education has designated Honorable Wantoe Teah Wantoe as the national Orator for this year’s Flag Day program,” a release from the ministry said
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