Monrovia, January 5, 2025 — In a stirring and thought-provoking letter addressed to the young revolutionaries of the University of Liberia, Cllr. Charlyne M. Brumskine has called for a radical shift in perspective regarding the newly appointed President of the University. The letter, which has rapidly gained traction across various platforms, challenges the students to embrace change and reconsider their resistance to the new administration.
The concerns about the new President’s appointment have been vocal and widespread, spanning Facebook posts, group chats, and verbal conversations. Acknowledging these valid concerns, Brumskine offers a counter-narrative that urges the students to seize this moment as an opportunity for transformative resistance—one that defies the entrenched norms and welcomes fresh perspectives.
“Maybe, just maybe, it is time for us to try a new approach,” writes Brumskine. She emphasizes the need for a departure from the “tried and tested” techniques that have failed the institution. Instead, she calls on the young revolutionaries to lead a resistance against antiquated ways of thinking and to embrace innovative and unfamiliar methods.
Brumskine’s letter advocates for an open-minded acceptance of external academic influence, highlighting the potential benefits of learning from someone outside the University’s traditional sphere. She notes the irony of the numerous requests she receives for financial aid to study in the US, juxtaposing it with the opportunity presented by having an acclaimed US academic lead the University.
“Think of the opportunities this could present!” she urges, suggesting that this change could bring about the innovation, exposure, and transformation that the students desire.
The letter also critiques the inflexibility that has come to define much of the youth’s approach to change. Brumskine points out that a revolution, by its nature, requires significant and sometimes sudden changes, which contradicts the resistance to new ideas and methods.
Addressing the concerns about the new President’s administrative inexperience, Brumskine acknowledges the validity of these worries but encourages the students to focus on vision, passion, and the potential for systemic change. She argues that some of the greatest revolutions have been led by those lacking experience but possessing a strong will to effect change.
“I don’t know Dr. Maparyan. I have never met her,” Brumskine admits. However, she implores the students to allow this change to take its course, emphasizing that the failure of this new leadership should not be due to resistance but rather a misalignment with the nation’s needs.
In a poignant conclusion, Brumskine calls on young people to embrace their future with courage and boldness. “History is for us, the old people, let us hold on to it; the future is yours,” she declares, urging the students to shed old ideologies and adopt innovative thinking.
As the University of Liberia stands on the precipice of potential transformation, Brumskine’s letter serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of open-mindedness and adaptability in the pursuit of progress. The young revolutionaries are now faced with a choice: to cling to the familiar or to boldly venture into the unknown in search of a brighter future.
Below is a copy of her Letter
A letter to the Young Revolutionaries of the University of Liberia.
I have heard your concerns about the newly appointed President of the University of Liberia, including the posts on Facebook, the musings in the various group chats, and the verbal conversations. They are all justified and should be given due consideration.
Notwithstanding, I’d like to offer another perspective. Indulge me, if you will.
Maybe, just maybe, it is time for us to try a new approach. Maybe our “tried and tested” techniques that obviously have not served us well need to be put to rest. Maybe you, the young revolutionaries, could take this opportunity to lead an act of resistance. Resistance to the old way of thinking. Resistance to doing the same things the same way and expecting different results.
Maybe we, Liberians, but particularly you, the younger Liberians, could admit we need a little “help” in the way of academia. This is not to say or in any way imply that we do not have qualified and competent “sons and daughters of the soil,” but maybe, just maybe, in this instance, it would behoove us to willingly open our doors to a “stranger.” Perhaps it would benefit us to learn something outside of the familiar and to learn from someone unknown to us. Perhaps the institutional and historical methods, including the administrative rules and order as well as the curriculum that has “adorned” the University for years, need to be replaced.
I know from first-hand experience that I receive numerous messages, calls, and letters requesting financial assistance for young people to travel to the US to pursue higher education opportunities. Guess what? One of the acclaimed purveyors of US higher education is coming to lead your State University. Think of the opportunities this could present!
Perhaps we should consider opening the “window” a little bit so that a different breeze may blow through our classrooms in 2025 and beyond, a breeze that may bring about innovation, exposure, transformation, and the “revolution” that our student leaders so desperately desire.
A revolution, by its very nature, is a significant and sometimes sudden change in a system. How do we cry out for revolution but are so resistant to change? We intensely hold on to the familiar, even when we know that it does not serve us.
Young people, we are becoming a nation of inflexibility. So many young people are reluctant to adapt to new ways of thinking, refusing to broaden their vision of what could be and what should be. We have become intransigent, unyielding, and unbending in our ideology, but, unfortunately, on many of the wrong matters. I do not mean to generalize, but by and large, this is the trend that many of you are taking.
Young people, how do we define what is “Liberian”? What is acceptable? What is good? By what standard, ethos, national identity, or collective ideology are you applying to vetting and selecting a University President?
Now, let’s shift the conversation slightly from us to her. Don’t get me wrong, I have read her CV, and while I am very impressed by her academic credentials, I do agree that there is a dearth of experience in administration. She has directed institutes and centers but has not held a position at this level. We have reason to be concerned. But consider this– some of the greatest revolutions started from those who did not have experience in galvanizing revolutions but had vision, passion, and the will to change the system.
I don’t know Dr. Maparyan. I have never met her. But this write-up is simply to say if her appointment is destined to fail, as so many of you have predicted, let it not be because our students resisted change. Let it be because our students welcomed change, and this change was not the right fit for our nation. We have to start doing things differently. Young people, this country is yours. I know change is hard. I know it is scary to expose yourself to the unknown. But I beseech you, tear off the old garments, and begin to cloak yourself with fresh, innovative ways of thinking. Be courageous and bold about your future. History is for us, the old people, let us hold on to it; the future is yours.
Perhaps this is the beginning of the radical change that you so vehemently espouse.
By. Cllr. Charlyne M. Brumskine
