MONROVIA – The government’s selection of historian Dr. Herbert Brewer as National Orator, pundits say, signals more than ceremonial routine. It anchors the 179th Independence Anniversary in a deliberate effort to reclaim Liberia’s historical narrative through Liberian-led scholarship. Brewer, a Morgan State University professor whose research traces the republic’s diasporic origins, embodies this year’s theme of national identity. The choice also carries deep symbolic weight for a country still negotiating the unresolved tensions of its own founding story. Equally significant is the decision to center the celebration in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, extending national ritual beyond Monrovia. A week of summits, dedications, and thanksgiving services will test the government’s capacity to translate symbolism into unity. THE ANALYST reports.
The Government of Liberia has selected renowned Liberian historian and author Dr. Herbert Brewer as the National Orator for the country’s 179th Independence Anniversary. The celebration will be officially observed in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, on Monday, July 27, 2026.
The announcement was made by Deputy Minister for Public Affairs at the Ministry of Information (MOI), Daniel O. Sando, during the Ministry’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, July 14. According to the government, this year’s Independence celebration will be held under the theme “Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-led Historical Leadership.”
A Historian for the Moment
Dr. Brewer, a respected historian, scholar, and author, brings more than 18 years of academic experience to the prestigious national role. Throughout his career, he has served in various capacities, including director, associate professor, and lecturer at several universities across Africa and the United States.
The orator currently serves as Associate Professor in the Department of History, Geography, and Museum Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he also directs the Benjamin Quarles Humanities and Social Science Institute. He holds a doctorate in history from the University of Maryland, College Park, where his research examined the free Black origins of the Liberian state, and his forthcoming book rethinks the making of Liberia as a diasporic republic.
Government officials say the National Oration is expected to inspire Liberians to reflect on the country’s history and celebrate the resilience and achievements of its people. It is also expected to encourage renewed commitment to peace, national unity, sustainable development, and collective responsibility.
Week-Long National Calendar
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a comprehensive calendar of events outlining activities leading to the Independence Day celebration. According to the schedule, commemorative events will begin on Tuesday, July 21, with the Liberia Technology Summit at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia.
On Wednesday, July 22, the government will host investiture ceremonies, also at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is expected to travel to Grand Bassa County on Thursday, July 23, and Friday, July 24, to dedicate several newly completed government projects, including the Superintendent’s Compound in Buchanan.
Activities on Saturday, July 25, will include an Independence Fish Market Day organized by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and a Presidential Youth Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Presidential Youth Advisory Council. A series of sporting events will also be held in Buchanan on the same day.
On Sunday, July 26, a National Thanksgiving and Intercessory Service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Buchanan. The day will conclude with a carnival-style celebration organized by the Liberia National Tourism Authority, showcasing Liberia’s cultural diversity and heritage.
The Big Day
The official 179th Independence Day celebration will take place on Monday, July 27, beginning with the hoisting of the National Flag and the review of troops by President Boakai in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The ceremony will also feature a military and paramilitary parade through the principal streets of Buchanan before the formal indoor program at the Unification Pavilion, where Dr. Brewer will deliver the National Oration.
The celebration will conclude with an Independence Day reception at Buchanan City Hall, bringing together government officials, diplomats, development partners, and invited guests. The commemorations will continue on Tuesday, July 28, when President Boakai is expected to dedicate the Gbarnga-Salayea Road, a key infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity in central Liberia.
The final event on the national calendar will be a Children’s Socialization Day hosted by President Boakai and First Lady Kartumu Yarta Boakai. The event is organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as part of efforts to promote child welfare and family-centered national development.
This year’s Independence celebration marks 179 years of Liberia’s nationhood. It is expected to bring together citizens from across the country and the diaspora to reflect on the nation’s democratic journey, celebrate its cultural heritage, and reaffirm a shared commitment to building a peaceful, united, and prosperous Liberia.
About the orator
Dr. Herbert Brewer is an internationally respected Liberian-American historian, Associate Professor of History at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and Director of the Benjamin Quarles Humanities and Social Science Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in History from the University of Maryland, where he specialized in African American History, the Atlantic World and the origins of the Liberian state. His doctoral dissertation, Chesapeake Free Blacks and the Origins of the Liberian State, 1776–1848, established him as a leading scholar on Liberia’s historical foundations.
Dr. Brewer’s research focuses on Liberia, the African Diaspora, slavery and abolition, Black intellectual history, and the Atlantic World. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Diasporic Republic: Rethinking the Making of Liberia and is currently writing a biography of Liberia’s first President, Joseph Jenkins Roberts. His scholarly work has appeared in leading academic journals, while his expertise on Liberia and the African Diaspora has been featured by the BBC, The Washington Post, NPR, Discovery Channel and other international media outlets.
Beyond scholarship, Dr. Brewer has become one of the foremost interpreters of Liberia’s historical development, frequently delivering lectures at major universities and international conferences. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Liberian Studies Journal, chaired the 56th Annual Liberian Studies Association Conference, and has contributed to several national and international history projects. Holding dual Liberian and United States citizenship, he remains deeply committed to advancing historical scholarship and preserving Liberia’s place within the broader story of the African Diaspora.