Hello everyone,

My name is Lawuo Dolo Cummings.

I am currently living in Vermont, United States with my husband Ethan Cummings. I was born in Liberia, however in 2008, while attending F-SHAM of Faith Girls Academy, in Liberia, I was awarded a scholarship to travel to the United States of America for one year, to study at St. Johnsbury Academy, in St. Johnsbury Vermont. The one year scholarship turned into two years. I graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy, and was also given another scholarship to attend Champlain College, in Burlington Vermont, where I graduated with a major in Accounting and a minor in Finance in 2014. After graduating from Champlain College, I started working in the Public Accounting sector, while studying for the Certified Public Accounting exams–CPA exams. I passed the CPA exams, and I was awarded my CPA’s license in 2018.

On September 11, 2020, I officially became a citizen of the United States of America.

I am currently working in the Banking sector, at a local community bank. With the increased number of Covid-19 Pandemic cases in the United States, it slowed me down a little and locked me down at home, therefore, I have circled back and picked up a life long project that my late father’s and my mother started back in Liberia. But first, I am starting by trying to tell some of his life’s story, along with my life’s story, that of my mother, and more, so I have been writing in my spare time.

I created a blog called Ku Kaa Tornor—which reads Cool-Car-Ton-None and translates to We Are One –from the kpelle language to English. The words Ku Kaa Tornor was my late father’s high school class motto, in 1968, back in Liberia, when there were strong rooted natives and privileged divides amongst the Liberian people-Liberia’s own form of systematic racisms, injustices, and tribalism– which eventually led to the years of civil unrest and brutally killing many innocent Liberians. I am writing to share some of his messages to me. Some of my mother’s ongoing message to me because she cannot write them herself—she did not get a formal English language education––to the world, and to you all that– We Are One.

Being away from Liberia and from my family was very hard–It is still very hard, but my father, my mother, and family–through my father, used to will always write to me and this was one of his favorite sentences to me in his countless letters over the years before he passed away on September 1, 2015. “I write to thank you and appreciate you at a high esteem. Thanks for your great courage you are undergoing to get a quality education for our better tomorrow” Like my father, my mother, and my family, I will like to thank all girls and all females at a very high esteems for all the struggles and all the hardships you all are going through to get a quality education for our better tomorrow. I thank you for your great courage. I appreciate you. I applaud you. We Are One!

I have other names, therefore my official and unofficial name is Lawuo Yemah-Gbokwoh Zorkleene Aalafayiah Dolokolliemah Cummings. I will be using these names along with my mother’s maiden name Naimah to share some of our stories.

Liberia is an English speaking country. But there are 16 other local languages spoken in Liberia, in addition to French and Arabic and etc.

Because of the various other languages that are spoken, some of the “English” words used by the local Liberian people have a much deeper and longer meaning.

I am writing in simple Liberian English- for the most part, for people like my mother who was deprived of a formal English learning education, and for people like my nephews and my nieces, who can not read or understand big English words. As I do.

Most local Liberians have so much to say, but they do not have the means of expressing themselves because of the various language barriers, stigmas in societies, and many more, as a result, they express themselves by using things, objects, words, phrases, traditions, cultures, customs, and etc, that they know. And the meaning of these are not exactly what you might read for a non-Liberian or someone who haven’t lived in Liberia for a long time.  Thus, creating a beautiful, vibrant, and colorful Liberian culture, and traditions, just like the bright and colorful Liberian, and African fabrics.

I am writing in English, but using Liberian local English, and American English. And I will be explaining some of the differences and the deeper meanings as I go on.  However, I will also leave some unexplained for you to use your imaginations. Because I am telling a story.

Therefore, in order for you to learn some of my stories and that of my family’s, you have to be willing to unlearn some things you already know, so that you can re-read and learn some of our stories. Because there are some DIFFERENCES!!

Please follow my blog to learn more about me, about my father, about my mother, and more.