my name is Fred Leib and in the period I was born in Monrovia Liberia up until
was born in Monrovia Liberia up until
was born in Monrovia Liberia up until the age of four years old
the age of four years old
the age of four years old my life was that of a regular happy
my life was that of a regular happy
my life was that of a regular happy preschooler
preschooler
preschooler and then Christmas Eve 1989 happened
and then Christmas Eve 1989 happened
and then Christmas Eve 1989 happened armed rebel forces were invaded enough
armed rebel forces were invaded enough
armed rebel forces were invaded enough each region of the country starting one
each region of the country starting one
each region of the country starting one of Africa bloodiest civil conflicts and
of Africa bloodiest civil conflicts and
of Africa bloodiest civil conflicts and the first of two Liberian civil wars
the first of two Liberian civil wars
the first of two Liberian civil wars that we spend over a long 14-year period
that we spend over a long 14-year period
that we spend over a long 14-year period claiming the lives of over 600,000
claiming the lives of over 600,000
claiming the lives of over 600,000 people before seven months before the
people before seven months before the
people before seven months before the invasion seven months after the invasion
invasion seven months after the invasion
invasion seven months after the invasion the rebels were advanced into the city
the rebels were advanced into the city
the rebels were advanced into the city Monrovia way my family and I lived weeks
Monrovia way my family and I lived weeks
Monrovia way my family and I lived weeks before that you could the atmosphere in
before that you could the atmosphere in
before that you could the atmosphere in the city had changed you could feel the
the city had changed you could feel the
the city had changed you could feel the fear in the air curfews were imposed gun
fear in the air curfews were imposed gun
fear in the air curfews were imposed gun men with guns and children soldiers
men with guns and children soldiers
men with guns and children soldiers roaming the streets raided houses
roaming the streets raided houses
roaming the streets raided houses looting and killing innocent people with
looting and killing innocent people with
looting and killing innocent people with no rhyme or reason I remember one night
no rhyme or reason I remember one night
no rhyme or reason I remember one night while my family Ralph and I were home we
while my family Ralph and I were home we
while my family Ralph and I were home we heard a loud banging on our front door
heard a loud banging on our front door
heard a loud banging on our front door peeking through the curtains we saw
peeking through the curtains we saw
peeking through the curtains we saw gunmen with with machetes being dragged
gunmen with with machetes being dragged
gunmen with with machetes being dragged on our concrete porch and hidden against
on our concrete porch and hidden against
on our concrete porch and hidden against our window bars screaming at us to open
our window bars screaming at us to open
our window bars screaming at us to open the door
the door
the door scare for our lives we hid under the
scare for our lives we hid under the
scare for our lives we hid under the furnitures
furnitures
furnitures the bangle will go on all night as God
the bangle will go on all night as God
the bangle will go on all night as God had it for some reason they were unable
had it for some reason they were unable
had it for some reason they were unable to break down that door right before
to break down that door right before
to break down that door right before they broke the left seeing the coast was
they broke the left seeing the coast was
they broke the left seeing the coast was clear
clear
clear we immediately packed up wherever we
we immediately packed up wherever we
we immediately packed up wherever we could and left to go to my grandfather
could and left to go to my grandfather
could and left to go to my grandfather house which was about an hour walked
house which was about an hour walked
house which was about an hour walked away the next day the state was a
away the next day the state was a
away the next day the state was a complete war zone gunshots ringing
complete war zone gunshots ringing
complete war zone gunshots ringing throughout the streets stray bullets
throughout the streets stray bullets
throughout the streets stray bullets flying everywhere and then don’t think
flying everywhere and then don’t think
flying everywhere and then don’t think about having a stray bullet flew to a
about having a stray bullet flew to a
about having a stray bullet flew to a window of our house pigeon right through
window of our house pigeon right through
window of our house pigeon right through one of my auntie’s leg I could stay here
one of my auntie’s leg I could stay here
one of my auntie’s leg I could stay here and see the chaos and panicked running
and see the chaos and panicked running
and see the chaos and panicked running through the front door screaming
through the front door screaming
through the front door screaming emergency emergency help somebody my
emergency emergency help somebody my
emergency emergency help somebody my sister has been shot was one of my
sister has been shot was one of my
sister has been shot was one of my auntie my mother’s who is here today I
auntie my mother’s who is here today I
auntie my mother’s who is here today I believe in that would divine strength in
believe in that would divine strength in
believe in that would divine strength in the moment
the moment
the moment grab my auntie and place her over her
grab my auntie and place her over her
grab my auntie and place her over her shoulders and we will walk out of the
shoulders and we will walk out of the
shoulders and we will walk out of the house for 10 minutes looking for help
house for 10 minutes looking for help
house for 10 minutes looking for help drenched my mother being drenched in
drenched my mother being drenched in
drenched my mother being drenched in blood from head to toe we went with the
blood from head to toe we went with the
blood from head to toe we went with the hospital made it just in time before my
hospital made it just in time before my
hospital made it just in time before my auntie bled out she will be treated and
auntie bled out she will be treated and
auntie bled out she will be treated and will recover fully
she asked the day went on the fighting
she asked the day went on the fighting intensified we will walk for 12 hours go
intensified we will walk for 12 hours go
intensified we will walk for 12 hours go into was the Economic Community of West
into was the Economic Community of West
into was the Economic Community of West African states ECOWAS safety zone this
African states ECOWAS safety zone this
African states ECOWAS safety zone this was an area where the Fighting’s were
was an area where the Fighting’s were
was an area where the Fighting’s were less intense because these were
less intense because these were
less intense because these were international forces who had came to try
international forces who had came to try
international forces who had came to try to keep the peace see the war will go on
to keep the peace see the war will go on
to keep the peace see the war will go on for years the years after that at some
for years the years after that at some
for years the years after that at some point we even travel to Africa
point we even travel to Africa
point we even travel to Africa some of my family went to Ghana seeking
some of my family went to Ghana seeking
some of my family went to Ghana seeking refuge in those countries the world will
refuge in those countries the world will
refuge in those countries the world will go on until 1996 and there was peace
go on until 1996 and there was peace
go on until 1996 and there was peace talks and a ceasefire agreement this
talks and a ceasefire agreement this
talks and a ceasefire agreement this would be short-lived
would be short-lived
would be short-lived 1999 the fighting would start again
1999 the fighting would start again
1999 the fighting would start again beginning a second war this would go on
beginning a second war this would go on
beginning a second war this would go on until 2003
until 2003
until 2003 I live in Liberia eleven of those 14
I live in Liberia eleven of those 14
I live in Liberia eleven of those 14 years of hell on earth in May of twenty
years of hell on earth in May of twenty
years of hell on earth in May of twenty to twenty 2001 my sister and I will come
to twenty 2001 my sister and I will come
to twenty 2001 my sister and I will come to the States to live with our Father
to the States to live with our Father
to the States to live with our Father having survived I came with a resolved
having survived I came with a resolved
having survived I came with a resolved to do right and to make something out of
to do right and to make something out of
to do right and to make something out of my life however I will still face
my life however I will still face
my life however I will still face insults and ignorant remarks from mr.
insults and ignorant remarks from mr.
insults and ignorant remarks from mr. form high school students actually mean
form high school students actually mean
form high school students actually mean questions like how I ever been to school
questions like how I ever been to school
questions like how I ever been to school and mind you I was in ninth grade or
and mind you I was in ninth grade or
and mind you I was in ninth grade or questions like that you have lions and
questions like that you have lions and
questions like that you have lions and giraffes for pets you see I knew that
giraffes for pets you see I knew that
giraffes for pets you see I knew that when we are born our lives a subject
when we are born our lives a subject
when we are born our lives a subject subjected to our environment but when we
subjected to our environment but when we
subjected to our environment but when we die our lives will be reflected by our
die our lives will be reflected by our
die our lives will be reflected by our choices our choices will reflect our
choices our choices will reflect our
choices our choices will reflect our lives
lives
lives so I decided having all the reasons in
so I decided having all the reasons in
so I decided having all the reasons in the world to lash out I decided to
the world to lash out I decided to
the world to lash out I decided to choose my future over my past this was
choose my future over my past this was
choose my future over my past this was no easy task but grounded in my faith in
no easy task but grounded in my faith in
no easy task but grounded in my faith in God and with the help of so surrounding
God and with the help of so surrounding
God and with the help of so surrounding myself with supportive family and
myself with supportive family and
myself with supportive family and friends making the right decisions I
friends making the right decisions I
friends making the right decisions I begin to manage my thoughts
begin to manage my thoughts
begin to manage my thoughts take control of my emotions and keep
take control of my emotions and keep
take control of my emotions and keep away from places things and people that
away from places things and people that
away from places things and people that were derailment this focus and
were derailment this focus and
were derailment this focus and determination served me well I graduated
determination served me well I graduated
determination served me well I graduated high school with presidential honors and
high school with presidential honors and
high school with presidential honors and enroll in college where I will study
enroll in college where I will study
enroll in college where I will study civil and construction engineering I
civil and construction engineering I
civil and construction engineering I went into this field because I had a
went into this field because I had a
went into this field because I had a desire to learn the skill sets to one
desire to learn the skill sets to one
desire to learn the skill sets to one day return to my beloved country to
day return to my beloved country to
day return to my beloved country to rebuild in this process I discover a
rebuild in this process I discover a
rebuild in this process I discover a passion that lit me up that was greater
passion that lit me up that was greater
passion that lit me up that was greater than building bridges and roads this
than building bridges and roads this
than building bridges and roads this would be building people because thank
would be building people because thank
would be building people because thank you because of what I had gone through I
you because of what I had gone through I
you because of what I had gone through I realized I had the ability in the
realized I had the ability in the
realized I had the ability in the perspective to help people navigate the
perspective to help people navigate the
perspective to help people navigate the crisis and adversities and reconcile
crisis and adversities and reconcile
crisis and adversities and reconcile that with the callings and destinies
this led me to luncheon conversation
this led me to luncheon conversation with Kings an initiative where we equip
with Kings an initiative where we equip
with Kings an initiative where we equip young boys and build them into men and
young boys and build them into men and
young boys and build them into men and men into leaders who we impact the
men into leaders who we impact the
men into leaders who we impact the families the communities in the world
families the communities in the world
families the communities in the world because a lot of the problems we have in
because a lot of the problems we have in
because a lot of the problems we have in our world is the lack of honest
our world is the lack of honest
our world is the lack of honest leadership in 2015 I made the second
leadership in 2015 I made the second
leadership in 2015 I made the second best decision of my life second to
best decision of my life second to
best decision of my life second to surrender my surrender in my life to God
surrender my surrender in my life to God
surrender my surrender in my life to God I married the most beautiful and
I married the most beautiful and
I married the most beautiful and brilliant woman of my life you see with
brilliant woman of my life you see with
brilliant woman of my life you see with home we’ve launched together she and I
home we’ve launched together she and I
home we’ve launched together she and I have launched the Fred and Cordelia
have launched the Fred and Cordelia
have launched the Fred and Cordelia banding foundation where we equipped and
banding foundation where we equipped and
banding foundation where we equipped and provide resources to emerging leaders
provide resources to emerging leaders
provide resources to emerging leaders locally and globally
you see I believe that we all have been
you see I believe that we all have been destined for a great future but the
destined for a great future but the
destined for a great future but the daily decision and choices we make will
daily decision and choices we make will
daily decision and choices we make will determine whether we get to experience
determine whether we get to experience
determine whether we get to experience that future there are some people who
that future there are some people who
that future there are some people who may try to marginalize discredit and
may try to marginalize discredit and
may try to marginalize discredit and even dismiss you because of the gender
even dismiss you because of the gender
even dismiss you because of the gender because of the age the lack of college
because of the age the lack of college
because of the age the lack of college degree your race color of your skin are
degree your race color of your skin are
degree your race color of your skin are simply where you come from the trouble
simply where you come from the trouble
simply where you come from the trouble neighborhood or the underdeveloped
neighborhood or the underdeveloped
neighborhood or the underdeveloped country but I say to you all today that
country but I say to you all today that
country but I say to you all today that when you come from and what you’ve gone
when you come from and what you’ve gone
when you come from and what you’ve gone through does not devalue or take away
through does not devalue or take away
through does not devalue or take away from the greatness that is within you we
from the greatness that is within you we
from the greatness that is within you we all have been created on purpose for
all have been created on purpose for
all have been created on purpose for purpose I encourage you all to look deep
purpose I encourage you all to look deep
purpose I encourage you all to look deep within the adversities of your lives and
within the adversities of your lives and
within the adversities of your lives and you will find your advantage because
you will find your advantage because
you will find your advantage because your story may not have been one of
your story may not have been one of
your story may not have been one of surviving 11 years of hell on earth but
surviving 11 years of hell on earth but
surviving 11 years of hell on earth but you do have a story nonetheless and it
you do have a story nonetheless and it
you do have a story nonetheless and it is one that is needed and necessary
thank you embrace all of who you are and
thank you embrace all of who you are and everything you’ve gone through because
everything you’ve gone through because
everything you’ve gone through because there is glory in your overcoming story
there is glory in your overcoming story
there is glory in your overcoming story thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment