The story is told that Before “UNIBOA”, there was the “Bassa Progressive League”. The Bassa Progressive League was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1972 by a group of Bassonians headed by Mr. Jucontee Thomas [Smith] Woewiyu as its first President. The organization was more of a social clique which brought together people of the Bassa ethnic group in the Brooklyn-Manhattan areas of New York City. The primary goal was to protect and promote the cultural heritage of the Bassa people in the Diaspora.
The formation of the Bassa organization was inspired by the tremendous effort made by author, Alex Hailey in his research that led to the famous book and movie, “ROOT”. The inspirational motive at the time was, “given Liberia’s history of emphasis on its American slave heritage, if the Bassa people in Liberia did not protect and promote their own heritage, it could get lost”. The founders of the Bassa organization wanted to spare generations of Bassonians in the future of the “ROOT” syndrome.
The Bassa organization was the first ethnically based Liberian organization in the Americas. The formation of the Bassa organization gave impetus to other ethnic organizations such as the Kru, “I win Na”, the Grand Gedeh Association, Nimba Citizen Council, the Lofa and Mandingo Association, etc.
Because of shrinking membership as members sought and changed localities in the quest for better employment opportunities and other dreams, the organization was disbanded after few years of its existence.
The process of forming The United Bassa Organizations of the Americas (UNIBOA) begun in the great city of Newark, New Jersey on December 10, 1983 by concern citizens of the Bassa counties of Liberia living in New York and New Jersey metro areas who met and discussed the formation of a Bassa organization. The organization was originally named “Blojay” (meaning in the Bassa dialect, “Because of or for the sake of homeland”. The late Rev. Dr. Samuel Snelborough of Newark, New Jersey was chosen to be the Interim- Chairman until a National Election was held.
The First National Convention of “Blojay” was held on February 27, 1984 in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. Eric Brown of North Carolina was elected the first National President. The title “Khaan Venneh” was conferred on the President as an official title for the presidency of the National Body and “Khaan” for the local chapters, respectively, instead of the traditional title “President”. The original chapters were: North Jersey, South Jersey, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. Its operations subsided due to lack of funding and internal quarrel after a protracted period of existence.
On October 20, 1990, at the home of Mr. Z. Jerome Gayman, a former President of the North Jersey Chapter, in the great City of Irvington, New Jersey, a meeting was held to brainstorm the re-organization of “Blojay” with two members from New York and four members from Newark, New Jersey, they agreed to re-organize on the national level. An Interim Committee was set up to spearhead the reformation. Mr. Hitler Harvey of New York City was elected as Interim Chairman and Mr. Jermaine Boyd Smith of Newark, New Jersey as Co-chairman.
On January 5, 1991, the Interim Committee hosted an all Bassa conference in Newark, New Jersey to discuss the finishing touches of the proposed re-organization. The conference brought together people of the Bassa counties residing in New York City, Trenton, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
At this conference, the Chairman of the D.C. Bassa organization, Mr. Joseph D. Sinyan informed the body that his organization, the “United Bassa Association of Washington D.C.” has been in existence for six years and on behalf of his people in Washington D.C, he was willing to annex his organization as a chapter of the newly re-organized national body.
The Re-organizing Committee unanimously agreed to accept the United Bassa Association of Washington DC as a chapter and subsequently was selected to host a forum at which a new constitution was to be drafted.
