DATI Liberia to Represent Rabbi Dr. Joe Gbaba as President Boakai Confers National Honor

Monrovia, Liberia – Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) Liberia has announced that its National Coordinator Statesman Meshach Sieh Elliot, and Stateswoman Hawa Promise Guwor, DATI Dougbor Chapter Director, will officially represent the organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Rabbi Dr. Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., during the national investiture ceremony where His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. will confer upon him Liberia’s Distinction in the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander.

The prestigious national honor, which forms part of activities commemorating Liberia’s 179th Independence Day, recognizes Dr. Gbaba’s outstanding contributions to the preservation of Liberia’s cultural heritage, theatre, education, literature, peace-building, and national development. Although Dr. Gbaba was formally invited by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he respectfully informed the Government that he would be unable to attend the ceremony due to his residence in the United States and the short notice of the invitation.

In his absence, DATI Liberia National Coordinator Meshach Sieh Elliot and Montserrado ( DATI Dougbor Chapter ) Director Hawa Promise Guwor will proudly stand in solidarity with the organization’s founder during the historic occasion, joining his brother-in-law, Mr. Rameses A. Porte, Jr., to receive the honor on his behalf, celebrating the national recognition.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Meshach Sieh Elliot expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to represent Dr. Gbaba. “I am very excited to represent a Rabbi, cultural expert, mentor, role model, and an educator at the President’s Honoring Program. A special thanks to His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for recognizing the tireless efforts of Dr. Gbaba in preserving and promoting our Liberian culture. It is my sincere wish that His Excellency President Boakai will appoint Dr. Gbaba to serve in a key national role where his wealth of experience and passion for Liberia’s culture can further benefit our country.”

Mr. Elliot further conveyed the appreciation of the entire DATI family, extending heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for this distinguished recognition as the honor is not only for Dr. Gbaba but also for everyone who believes in preserving Liberia’s rich cultural heritage and promoting national unity through the performing arts.

Dr. Gbaba, whose career spans more than five decades, is regarded as one of Liberia’s foremost playwrights, theatre directors, educators, and cultural advocates. Through the establishment of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc., he has mentored generations of Liberian artists while championing cultural preservation, peacebuilding, and national reconciliation.

The conferment of the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander stands as one of Liberia’s highest national recognitions and affirms Dr. Gbaba’s enduring legacy as a cultural icon whose life’s work continues to inspire Liberians at home and abroad.

RABBI JOE GBABA Honored with Liberia’s Order of the Star of Africa by President Boakai

Monrovia, Liberia – Renowned Liberian playwright, theatre director, educator, and Executive Director of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., has been selected by His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. to receive one of Liberia’s prestigious national honors—the Order of the Star of Africa with the Grade of Commander.

The honor was conveyed through an official communication dated July 8, 2026, signed by Chief of Protocol Ambassador Antoinette M. Wolo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The letter informed Dr. Gbaba that, as part of activities marking Liberia’s 179th Independence Day Celebration, President Boakai would confer the national distinction upon him during a ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Monrovia.

The correspondence also requested that Dr. Gbaba invite three guests to the ceremony and submit a copy of his biography to facilitate the preparation of the official citation recognizing his distinguished service to Liberia.In his response to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gbaba expressed profound appreciation to President Boakai for the recognition, describing the honor as both humbling and deeply meaningful.

Meanwhile, in his response to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gbaba expressed profound appreciation to President Boakai for the recognition, describing the honor as both humbling and deeply meaningful. “Please convey my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Excellency, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, for the honor and his thoughtfulness,” Dr. Gbaba wrote.However, Dr. Gbaba explained that he would be unable to attend the investiture ceremony because he currently resides in the United States of America and received the invitation on July 15, leaving insufficient time to make travel arrangements before the scheduled event.To ensure representation at the national ceremony, Dr. Gbaba designated his brother-in-law, Mr. Rameses A. Porte, Jr., to receive the honor on his behalf.

Dr. Gbaba is widely recognized as one of Liberia’s foremost cultural ambassadors. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has dedicated himself to preserving Liberia’s history, traditions, and cultural identity through theatre, education, literature, and peace advocacy. As the founder and Executive Director of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), he has mentored generations of young Liberian artists while promoting national unity, reconciliation, and cultural preservation both in Liberia and across the diaspora.

The Order of the Star of Africa is among Liberia’s highest national distinctions and is bestowed upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and distinguished service to the nation.The conferment of the Grade of Commander on Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr. stands as a national recognition of his enduring contributions to Liberia’s cultural development, education, and the preservation of the country’s rich artistic heritage.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲-𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫

According to a communication dated July 8, 2026, from Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. is scheduled to confer upon Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed.D., the distinction of Commander in the Order of the Star of Africa on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Monrovia. ‎𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
‎The Order of the Star of Africa is one of Liberia’s historic national orders. Established in 1920, it recognizes distinguished service to Liberia or Africa, including exceptional contributions to public service, the arts and the sciences. The grade of Commander therefore represents a serious national acknowledgment of a lifetime devoted to scholarship, education, theatre, literature, cultural preservation and service to humanity.

For Grand Gedeh County, this impending honor is particularly remarkable. It celebrates a distinguished Liberian whose life and creative identity are deeply connected to Grand Gedeh and the Krahn cultural heritage. But Dr. Gbaba’s significance cannot be confined to one county or one ethnic community. He belongs to Liberia. He is one of the custodians of our collective memory.

𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓‎Dr. Gbaba’s documented theatrical journey began while he was still a student at Carroll High School in Yekepa. The University of Zurich’s Liberian Literature Project catalogs his 1974 play, Kekula at the End of His Course of Study, as well as later works including Chains of Apartheid from 1977, Zon Ninneh Taryee and The Resurrection. This independent academic record is particularly important because it places his work within the documented history of Anglophone Liberian literature. University of Zurich’s bibliography of Liberian literature‎In 1977, Dr. Gbaba founded Dehkontee Artists Theatre at the University of Liberia. Through that institution, he trained performers and created a platform for presenting Liberian experiences through drama, music, dance and storytelling.

One of the most moving dimensions of Dr. Gbaba’s work is that he did not abandon culture when Liberia entered its darkest period. During the civil crisis, when violence was destroying institutions and suspicion was separating communities, Dehkontee Artists Theatre reportedly used performance to promote peace and reconciliation. In 1992, amid the instability of the civil-war era, Dr. Gbaba staged The Minstrel’s Tales and The Resurrection at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia. That matters profoundly.‎When guns were attempting to define Liberia, Dr. Gbaba insisted that theatre, history and culture could still speak. When the country was being divided along political and ethnic lines, he assembled artists around stories that appealed to conscience, faith and shared humanity.

𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔‎:

President Boakai’s decision to honor Dr. Gbaba communicates several important messages.‎ First, it declares that nation-building is not undertaken only by presidents, legislators, soldiers, engineers and businesspeople. Artists, teachers, writers, historians and cultural workers also build nations. ‎Second, it recognizes labor that is often performed without adequate financial support or public attention. Liberia frequently applauds entertainers when they become popular, but it does not always sufficiently honor the people who build cultural institutions, train generations of performers, document history and preserve indigenous knowledge.‎Third, the recognition elevates the national importance of Grand Gedeh County. A son of the county’s cultural heritage is being honored not because he abandoned his identity, but because he used that identity as one foundation from which to serve the entire nation.‎Dr. Gbaba demonstrates that one can be proudly Krahn and completely Liberian; deeply rooted in Grand Gedeh and internationally accomplished; a custodian of a particular heritage and simultaneously a servant of national unity. That is the Liberia we must build—a country in which our ethnic identities enrich our citizenship instead of threatening it.

FULL STORY HERE:

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DATI 2027 50th Anniversary Calendar Coming Soon!

Family and friends, greetings from the Honorable Body of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI). Next year February 2027, DATI is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. We know you would be honored to have a souvenir that exhibits the rich and diverse heritage of Liberia hung in your living room of office for your guests to see and admire.

We are pleased to inform you that the DATI 2027 50th Anniversary Souvenir Calendar will be ready in two weeks.

The DATI 50th Anniversary Souvenir Calendar will contain photographs and summaries of theatrical productions and cultural events DATI produced over the past 50 years. Funds raised will be used to purchase land/site for the proposed DATI School of the Performing and Visual Arts in Liberia.

The cost of a DATI 2027 50th Anniversary Souvenir Calendar is $100. To purchase a calendar, please include your mailing and email address and phone number. Put in your order today by making a check or money order payable to:

Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc.
P. O. Box 143
Clifton Heights, PA 19018

Questions: Please contact the following individuals:

Mrs. Irene Roberts-Gulley (302)423-6953
Mrs. Comfort Sobah (610) 529-1576
Dr. Joe Gbaba (267) 973-1709

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Going Back to My Roots: Carroll High, My Soul Mother!

As Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) approaches its historic 50th anniversary, its founder and Executive Director, Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., reflects with gratitude on the institution and community that nurtured his calling to use theatre as a vehicle for cultural preservation, national unity, and peace.

Fifty-two years ago, while as a student at Archbishop Carroll High School in Grassfield on the slopes of Mount Nimba, Dr. Gbaba wrote and staged his first play, Life Story of Kekula, inspired by a profound commitment to celebrate Liberia’s rich heritage and advance the ideals of national integration. The production, performed by fellow students and friends, marked the beginning of a lifelong journey that would culminate in the founding of DATI, one of Liberia’s most enduring cultural institutions.

Dr. Gbaba recalls Carroll High School as a center of academic excellence and vibrant extracurricular life, where clubs devoted to science, music, faith, sports, and service shaped generations of young leaders. It was there that he founded Creating Friendship in Christ (CFC), organized a drama troupe, and discovered the transformative power of storytelling.

Looking ahead to DATI’s golden jubilee, Dr. Gbaba expresses heartfelt appreciation to the LAMCO Family Reunion organizers and all those who shared in the formative experiences of his youth. He eagerly anticipates reconnecting with former classmates, teachers, and friends to celebrate cherished memories and reaffirm their common commitment to preserving Liberia’s cultural legacy for future generations.

DATI 2027 50th Anniversary Calendar Coming up Soon!!!!

Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) turns 50 next year and to celebrate and commemorate what we have done to promote Liberian history and culture on stage for half a century, we will be selling the 2027 calendar for a small price of $100. If you live out of state and you want a copy, a shipping fee of $5 is required.

The calendar will include photographs and brief summaries of theatrical performances that were produced over the span of five decades. Funds raised will go towards the DATI Performing Arts project in Liberia.

Note that the DATI 2027 50th Anniversary Calendar is not just an ordinary calendar. It is an historical document that you can keep on your living room wall in your home past 2027 to educate and entertain your guests and visitors and to showcase the culture of your home of origin. It is also a humble way to support a worthwhile project and an organization that has stood and still stands with you through thick and thin for 50 years, making sure that your culture and history are preserved!

Purchasing a copy or copies of the DATI 2027 50th Anniversary Calendar is your way of preserving your own history and culture. Please put in your order today through the payment methods below. Please make sure to submit your address and contact number in your request.

1. Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc., P. O. Box 143, Clifton Heights, PA 19018
2. Cashapp: $JosephGbaba, tel. (267) 973-1709.

Dehkontee Artists Theatre at the Ibrahim Theatre, International House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., featuring Joe Gbaba’s “Love for Mymah”, during the 41st Anniversary of Dehkontee Artists Theatre in 2018.

L-R: Andre Minkins, Rabbi Joe Gbaba, Princess Ariminta Gbaba, Prince Jaeden Gbaba, Princess McKenzy Gbaba, Princess Jade Gbaba, Prince Julian Gbaba, Zeze Conie, and Sangay Sheriff (lying on the floor)