Breaking Free: Chuckie Taylor's Journey Toward African Atonement

Send us a text

From behind prison walls emerges a voice seeking redemption, understanding, and a second chance. Chuckie Taylor – son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor – breaks his silence in this rare, unfiltered conversation that challenges our understanding of identity, atonement, and justice.

"The son must no longer pay for the sins of the father," declares Taylor as he navigates the complex terrain of his heritage while establishing his own distinct identity. Now serving an extraordinary 97-year sentence after what he describes as an unfair conviction, Taylor speaks candidly about his journey toward redemption and his vision for contributing to Africa's future progress despite his imprisonment.

What sets this interview apart is Taylor's repeated emphasis on apology and atonement. "I am one of few, if not the only, man of notoriety from Liberia's civil war who has publicly apologized to the people," he states, extending his remorse to anyone harmed by his past actions. This stance of accountability, coupled with his claims of legal innocence, presents a multidimensional portrait rarely captured in discussions of Liberia's troubled past.

The conversation takes an unexpected turn as Taylor reveals his hopes for clemency from President Donald Trump after a previous attempt was dismissed by the Biden administration. As he prepares to launch a public petition for support, Taylor makes a compelling case for reconsideration of his situation while acknowledging that mainstream media has largely blocked his perspective from reaching the public.

Whether you view his words as genuine transformation or calculated positioning, Taylor's voice adds a crucial dimension to ongoing conversations about war, reconciliation, and the complex legacies of Africa's recent conflicts. Listen as he makes his case directly to you, without filtration or interpretation, and draw your own conclusions about this controversial figure's path forward.

Support the show

Follow our IG & Twitter for live updates @LFTGRadio

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This call will be recorded and subject to
monitoring at any time.
To accept this call, press 5.
To block this call anall-future call you may begin
speaking now.
Hello, lftg.
This is Chucky Taylor, son offormer Liberian President
Charles Taylor, now morecommonly known as Gomaesemel

(00:23):
Tapanen.
I've got a few things to sharebefore the two-hour interview.
The moment has arrived.
I pursue openness, facilitatedialogue, discourse, mental
exchange, feedback with thewider African, caribbean,
afro-latino, black Americancommunity, regardless of

(00:45):
background or politicalaffiliation.
At no time have I been affordedthe opportunity to deeply speak
.
In fact, many have sought toreshape and alter the reality
and fulfill biases and agendas.
Prisoners compelled me todeeply reflect on who I was,

(01:06):
what I was connected to, whatneeds to be understood and I
need to emphasize world.
Hear me clear despite thestrong resemblance to former
President Taylor, presidentTaylor's opponents, detractors,
adversaries are not mine, notnow or in the future.
There is no need for theopponents of Mr Taylor to

(01:28):
project their opposition onto me.
This has been done for far toolong.
The son must no longer pay forthe sins of the father.
I personally have no enemies,no wish ill upon anyone.

(01:49):
Despite all that has happened,in every interview I rendered a
deep apology to the Liberianpeople.
This was done in my firstinterview with Al Jarreau,
second with BBC's Focus onAfrica, audrey Brown and lastly,
costa's Facebook Live interview.
I see atonement as a duty, onethat I will not flinch or shy
away from.
I repeat again I hold the feetand seek the forgiveness of

(02:15):
anyone I may have offendedemotionally or verbally, harm To
those who were not advocatedfor when and where possible, to
those who I could havefinancially or socially helped,
to anyone that has beennegatively impacted.
Based upon my past actions, Iam one of few, if not the only,

(02:36):
man of notoriety from Liberia'scivil war who has publicly
apologized to the people.
This is done for many reasons.
Who has publicly apologized tothe people.
This is done for many reasons,one of the key reasons being I
am part of Africa's futureprogress not just part of its
past failure.
Part of my future atonement willbe contributing to Africa's

(02:58):
upliftment, even if I neverreturn back to Liberia.
Wherever I will be in Africa, Iwill be among my people,
working for its progress.
To the elders in Liberia,sierra Leone, nigeria, ghana,
burkina Faso, mali, niger,mother West Africa, mama Africa,

(03:19):
I am your son.
I request to the elders educateme, according to African
customs and traditions, on howto atone for the harm to the
people and to the land.
Wisdom informs me a harm ortragedy upon one is a harm to
all.
I truly apologize for notliving up to my fullest

(03:41):
potential.
I seek the wisdom from one andall and commit to the embrace of
knowledge, wisdom andunderstanding.
I repeat, from one and all.
Whether you are Gula Pele Crown, mano Sapo Yaruba, ibu Dagon,
afa, ashanti, dahomey Dagara, itdoesn't matter.

(04:02):
I pursue African wisdom.
This declaration is a permanentone and it is a standard I seek
to be held to To the WesternNGOs, non-governmental
organizations, human rightsgroups.
While I fully stand by theunfair nature of my trial and
innocence, I am not withoutfault.

(04:23):
Educate me on the deeperprinciples of human rights and
its promotion in Mama Africabeyond my own self-education.
I declare.
In no world should anyone bepromoting human rights more than
the African man, woman andchild of the land and the
descendants thereof.
Aid me in becoming a vessel topromote human rights in all

(04:45):
areas of African life, in warand in peace.
I want to work tirelessly tocontributing to the permanent
reconciliation efforts inLiberia to make a stronger
society.
No matter where I am, I am aneutral party passing judgment
on none.
This is the first time anex-dictator's son pushes such an

(05:07):
agenda.
I seek a part of Africa'sfuture, not its past.
Although born in Boston Mass, Ibecame a man in Africa.
I am a Gola man.
Guided by my Trinidadianupbringing and heritage, I
reject any Congo man-constructordesignation.
This time in prison has usheredme towards redemption, strength

(05:29):
and self-correction, a journeyI have fully embraced.
This time has come for me toseek the support of the
community.
No man is an island.
I am open to constructivedialogue.
You can contact me directlywith this information, roy
Belfast.
Contact me directly with thisinformation, roy Belfast.
Roy R-O-Y Belfast,b-e-l-f-a-s-t.

(05:50):
Inmate number 76556-004.
United States PenitentiaryLeague, po Box 305.
Jonesville, virginia, zip code24263.
And I want to reiterate againthat this is this call is from a

(06:10):
federal prison.
I want to reiterate that thistwo-hour interview will be
compelling.
There's a lot that needs to bediscussed and the truth needs to
rise to the surface.
Thank you all for listening.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Before we end this dialogue, how much time do you
have in right now?

Speaker 1 (06:32):
I have 18 years of being unlawfully convicted and I
look forward to being able tomake my case in reference to
this.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
How much time do you have left in your bid?

Speaker 1 (06:43):
I have a 97-year sentence.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
Do you have any appeals that you're working on
currently?

Speaker 1 (06:54):
I have no opportunity to get back in the courts at
this stage.
The only thing that I lookforward to now is making an
appeal based upon a potentialclemency or pardon by President
Trump, one that was dismissed,by the way, by the prior Biden
administration under the formercourt attorney.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
Do you see any hope with Donald Trump?

Speaker 1 (07:19):
I do.
I believe, from his pastexperience and his openness to
think outside the box, thatthere is a strong potential for
me to make the case.
But, more importantly, strongpotential for me to make the
case.
But more importantly, afterthis interview, I will be making
a plea to LFTG listeners andsupporters and asking them to

(07:41):
support a changeorg petition tosupport my pardon and clemency
after I make my case related tothe unfair and wrongful
conviction and prosecutorialmisconduct linked to my case.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
All right, that sounds good.
Lftg is here to back andsupport you in anything unjust,
and I will get that word out tothe people.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
Elliot, I appreciate it.
What you're doing is powerful.
Salutes and big up.

Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yes, sir, yes sir, it's greatly appreciated for you
to trust this platform withyour word and your story.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well, I'll be honest.
Legacy Media has totally barredme from getting my voice out
and from everybody who hasinterviewed me.
Could have set the agenda, butI needed every outlet available
to me.
Legacy media is no more.
It's these platforms that aregoing to get the truth out to
the people, and I'm here tosupport you.
There are a lot of real menbehind these walls who have

(08:45):
unlawful convictions and who arebarred based upon how
legislative legislation isconstructed.
Many people don't know that,even if you have wrongdoing in
your case, if it's not broughtup in a certain time, you will
not be able to overturn yourconviction.
But that's another topic.
But yes, thank you.

(09:06):
This means a lot.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
Absolutely.
I'm glad we could help you,brother.