A tribute to the memory of Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine
Founding Father, former Political Leader and former Standard-bearer
Liberty Party, on the occasion of his death anniversary
By Stephen JH Zargo
National Chairman of Liberty Party
November 20, 2020
Dear Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine:
Twelve months today (November 20, 2020), the silent hand of mankind’s common enemy was laid on you. That was a day the Leadership and entire membership of the Liberty Party did not believe had come.
Cllr. Brumskine, you came too far with us to leave us just this way and at this time. Many of your supporters across the country are still doubting your passing, and since this memorial date, they still cannot come to term with this sad reality. Collectively, we feel devastated, powerless and disappointed. Individually, we feel detached from the warmth that your presence always presented. And so, we cry, cry, and cry.
As humans, emotions and disappointment filled us; but they cannot consume us. Your passing has created a huge gap not only within your own Liberty Party, but within the whole body politic of Liberia, the county that you loved so dearly and sacrificed so much for.
In your passing, Liberty Party and Liberia have indeed lost a HERO of a man, a true champion of justice and liberty, a democrat, a true patriot, a legal luminary, a role model, a consensus builder, an astute political icon, a great teacher, a gentlemen and a family man.
Immediately when I retired from my professional law enforcement career where I served for about twenty years and entered the national politics of our country few years ago, I came across several individuals, but two distinguished personalities, both of the Liberty Party, touched my life so extraordinarily that I will never forget. Unfortunately, the two of them have ended their journey with us. The first was late Hon. Eugene Fallah Kparkar who sadly passed on November 10, 2016 and now you, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, whose passing has left within our party and country a vacuum so wide to fill. But we take solace in the exemplary life and lessons learnt from you.
While we continue to mourn your passing, I feel personally humbled and gratified by your deep sense of national integration. Under your visionary leadership, Liberty Party stretched forth its arm to the great people of Lofa County, recognizing the pivotal role this county plays in the political life of our country. Your leadership was keen on this matter, and worked with other stakeholders and partisans alike in ensuring that Lofa County would steer the direction of this great party at the National Chairmanship level. But this was not an isolated case. Upon your arrival from exile in 2003, the first place you visited outside of Montserado County was the Mai’mu Displaced people Camp in Bong County that hosted Lofans in particular. There, you delivered assorted materials including clothes and food items. The record also carries that you empowered displaced women on that camp with micro credit loan.
Cllr. Brumskine, it is very hard for me today to be up here, hearing my own thoughts out loud, trying my best to focus on the happiest times spent together and we know you are still here with us, very strongly in spirit. CWB, you were such a strong person through and through, from character, personality and presence. You knew the national, regional, county and district leadership not only by names, but also by characters and phone numbers, and you were never too busy to answer their calls or call them up individually to say hello and ask how each person was doing. We are all here today because somewhere somehow, we have all been touched by the caring heart you had. We were all very lucky to have had you in our lives and as much as you will be missed by us all, you will remain with us all, every day, as long as we can remember.
Cllr. you held the Liberty Party stronger together throughout, even in the face of tempting challenging. You taught us to be peaceful, resilient, committed, party disciplined, law abiding, and above all, to have love for nation above self.
On behalf of the Liberty Party, I offer our deepest condolences to the Brumskine family and the great people of Grand Bassa County. Your legacy is well documented and we promise here and today to uphold those values and keep the Liberty Party united and strong. Fellow partisans and supporters, let us use this occasion as a glue to unite all of us and combine our efforts in moving our party (the Liberty Party) forward as part of efforts to keeping the touch of our Vision Bearer burning.
Let us work together to translate the vision of Cllr. Brumskine into reality placing premium on the four Rs of our party:
- We must reconcile our individual and collective differences.
- Reform our strategies to earn ourselves the opportunity to lead.
- Rebuild our confidence as a people towards self-sufficiency in governance and
- Recover from the grief associated with the irreplaceable loss of our Vision Bearer.
If we do this together, bolding hands of friendship in one accord, buttressing each other’s capacities, strengthening each other’s comparative advantages, we will be on the verge of success and our party and nation will be on the irreversible course of becoming a true success story.
This can happen and this will happen because we are a people driven by the spirit of service and resilience.
Cllr. Brumskine, till we meet again, rest in Heavenly peace and be assured that we will not disappoint you.
TOGETHER, WE CAN DO BETTER.
May the God that we serve guide our path and watch over us.
Thank you.