The city of Monrovia developed around Providence Island, a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge where the Mesurado River joins the Atlantic Ocean. This island holds a significant place in the history of the United States and its relationship with both the African continent and people of African descent.
Part of Africa’s Cultural Landmarks, a series of short films produced by The Met in collaboration with World Monuments Fund and directed by Sosena Solomon, this documentary looks at Providence Island’s role in the complex intertwined histories of Liberia and the United States.
In 1822, the island became a crucial meeting place between indigenous communities and formerly enslaved and freeborn American settlers who sought a new beginning in Africa. Expert commentary carefully traces how the tensions originating from this encounter reverberated into Liberia’s contemporary era, contributing to devastating civil conflicts and prolonged neglect of this culturally significant site. Featuring nuanced personal accounts and insightful analysis, the film highlights current preservation initiatives transforming Providence Island into an urban park and symbolic space for national reconciliation.
As part of a broader effort to contextualize The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries, Africa’s Cultural Landmarks emphasizes community perspectives in safeguarding heritage and navigating the intersections of history and identity.
About Providence Island, Liberia
Providence Island tells an important chapter in the history of the United States and its relationship to both the continent and people of African descent. In 1822, 88 formerly enslaved and freeborn Black people from the United States sailed for Africa to form a colony. They landed on Providence Island at the mouth of the Mesurado River and founded the nation of Liberia. Originally called Dozoa, meaning “Land in the center of water” in the language of the Gola ethnic group who then occupied Cape Mesurado, today the island is at the center of the modern city of Monrovia. That initial arrival was followed by the embarkment of roughly 25,000 manumitted Black individuals from the Americas between 1822 and 1861, although only about 12,000 survived the journey to Liberia. The settlement of Providence Island began a long cycle of conflict and resolution with the indigenous peoples of the region, culminating in a violent coup in 1980 and two brutal civil wars (1989-1997 and 1999-2003). The humble landscape bears witness to these centuries of contact, violence, intermingling, and revitalization.
Africa’s Cultural Landmarks is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with World Monuments Fund.
