A Ghanaian Hero: Remembering Princess Laura Adorkor Koffey aka “Mother Koffey”

In my search of more info about trailblazer and “Gold Coast native Laura Adorkor Koffey” who founded “The African Universal Church and Commercial League” in the United States in 1929 –with the sole purpose of repatriating African-Americans back to the homeland of their forefathers in West Africa” I stumble across the following via: http://therealstorylauraadorkorkofey.blogspot.co.uk –and I’m sure you’ll find it as interesting as me….

 

THE REAL STORY: PRINCESS LAURA ADORKOR KOFEY AND ADORKAVILLE

When you type in the name “Laura Adorkor Kofi, Kofey or  Koffey ”  a lot of hits will come up.  Some getting the story right but most with wrong info. What is so amazing about Princess Kofey is that she came to the U.S. not as an immigrant, not in search for a better life, not for any economic or spiritual gain but she came as a free native African in NO need of money, but to tell her fellow stolen African brothers and sisters (later called her children) that they can come back home if they wish.  And on top of being not only black but an African, she was a woman!  Her teaching reached so many blacks in America that when she was tragically murdered, she had thousands of thousands attend her funeral. But despite her sudden death, her legacy and teachings of being faithful to God and working to come home or trade with Africa did not die. Later, South African native Rev. Dr. Eli Nyombolo (a.k.a Lil Brother) continued her works and established a community along with her Church (Missionary African Universal Church). The community was given the name Adorkaville and is located in Jacksonville Florida, which she named (before her death) headquarters of all MAUC churches. The Missionary African Universal Church of Jacksonville FL remains headquarters.

Despite Lil Brother’s efforts to keep all Missionary African Universal Churches united…shortly after his death, many territories split from the MAUC. But as stated before, MAUC of Jacksonville FL remained headquarters. Many members (now former members) left the MAUC and started their own church claiming to be of mother’s teachings but the MAUC of Jacksonville FL was and is the only church that TRULY follow Princess Kofey’s teachings.  Even though many of these members CHOSE to leave the MAUC and relinquished all of their rights, they are posing as being headquarters AND as the owners of Adorkaville. Please visit http://therealstorylauraadorkorkofey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/real-story-princess-laura-adorkor-kofey.html to read the entire piece thanks.

 

Via the piece above there is a link to a body called Adorkaville group http://www.adorkaville.com/ -so I checked it out but it seems to be more about South African native Rev. Dr. Eli Nyombolo (a.k.a Lil Brother) who continued to works and established a community along with her Church (Missionary African Universal Church) after our Laura Adorkor Koffey was brutally murdered for her belief and the good works she was doing… still they have kept her name which is something… The following is what I found via this website:

 

Adorkaville

An old Jacksonville location is being reviewed for restoration as a site to stimulate international heritage tourism in NE Florida. Adorkaville is the 63-year-old property that is linked to a 1920s movement founded by native Africans in the United States.

Plans are to restore the site back to its 1940s origin, develop a museum, and include trade and commerce activities between Africa and the U.S. As part of the activities to authenticate the native Africans attached to this site, research of Adorkaville's founder's (Eli Nyombolo) ancestry was performed during the Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA) AfrICANDO tourism mission to South Africa. U.S. delegates met with South Africa's government representatives in order to begin the steps to lay the groundwork to create business linkages between Africa and the U.S. in this industry. It was noted that the origin of Eli's mother (Matu Martha Makaula) dates back to the days of Zulu King Shaka. Additionally, the 1928 passport of Eli's father (Chalmers Nyombolo) was acquired during the mission and revealed his origin is related to Nelson Mandela's Xhosa people of South Africa.

Adorkaville was developed as an "African Community "and originally consisted of homes, a church and community centre. Its members were taught an African language and customs that were incorporated into their lifestyles. The organization was also involved in the import of crafts and other goods and exported tools and equipment to Africa. The findings during the FDA mission allows the Adorkaville restoration members to continue with its objective to recreate the site as an international heritage trail to preserve history, boost international relationships and stimulate Jacksonville's tourism industry.

 

Paulina says: I hope that “plans to restore the site back to its 1940s origin, develop a museum, and include trade and commerce activities between Africa and the U.S.” will happen but I also want this body to dig deeper and go further in Adorkaville’s history and remember the brave Laura Adorkor Koffey, a Gold Coast (Ghanaian) native who lost her life helping others –if they don’t we Ghanaians must. We must remember Laura Adorkor Koffey whose life reads like a movie of biblical proportions as we remember other brave female heroes of Ghanaian origins like Yaa Asantewaa….

 

The following is what Adorkaville says about Laura Adorkor Koffey

Laura Adorkor Kofey (also known as Mother Kofey) was a princess from Ghana that believed that her mission from God was to travel to America to deliver a message of invitation, union and self-help to people of African ancestry. She was authorized by various kings and leaders in her country to extend the invitation to return to Africa and to inquire about the welfare of African Americans. Slavery had been abolished for many years and many citizens in Africa did not feel that there was a good number of its descendants returning or attempting to form a relationship with their homeland (Nyombolo).

In less than18 months in the U.S., Mother Kofey had become a prominent name throughout the US, particularly the South. Attracting thousands to her speaking engagements, she worked to revive the southern branches of Marcus Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). UNIA members as well as ministerial alliances became concerned over her striking popularity over its members that many saw her as a threat to the organization (Bair, 1997). As a result, accusations were advertised that she was not a native African but merely an imposter from within the U.S. Mother Kofey made attempts to reconcile the accusations but was later forced to denounce her affiliation with these groups and formed her own organization. She suffered many prejudices because of her thriving organization from false accusations causing arrests, to her final assassination while delivering her message to a large crowd in Liberty Hall on March 8, 1928 in Miami, Florida (City of Jacksonville, 2003).

Although she died in March, she was not buried until August 17, 1928. She received thousands of mourners. So much so that the funeral parlour charged a fee of 25 cents to view her body (Nyombolo). Seven thousand followed her funeral procession from Miami to West Palm Beach (66 miles). According to the local newspaper, approximately 10,000 people attended the funeral of the "Nubian Princess" (Florida Times Union, 1928). She was finally laid to rest in a specially built mausoleum in Jacksonville, Florida. http://adorkaville.com/founders.html

 

For more info visit the following links:

http://adorkaville.com/founders.html

http://www.adorkaville.com/

http://therealstorylauraadorkorkofey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/real-story-princess-laura-adorkor-kofey.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19689

http://www.theblackarchives.org/archon/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=161&q=&rootcontentid=5351

 

Mother Koffey is arrested……………

During the months of September – November 1927, Mother Koffey was kept busy, in and out of jail and court meetings in Jacksonville, FL. On Saturday night before the fourth Sunday in September 1927, Mother Koffey suffered a powerful combination of her enemies to have her arrested sometime during the midnight hours.

 

Powerful race leaders influence five people to swear out warrants against her. The warrants said she had taken money from them under false pretences. Her accusers connived to have her arrested during the dead-of-night so that her followers would not be able to get her out of jail until Monday. (During this era, Blacks were not released from jail on Sundays) The plan also included for a big Sunday service for spiritual leaders to tell people of the shame and disgrace of that “African Woman”. Her opponents wanted her deported for “allegedly” lying and robbing the people.

Mother Koffey was taken away to jail, at night, just as plans were made against Christ to arrest him, in the dead of night. Only a few from her multitudes of children (followers) could be informed because, telephones were not plentiful in homes. A group that was blessed to hear the news was a praying band of her followers. They immediately fell on their knees and sent up prayers to the Throe of their Mother’s God. They remembered how the early Christian Church prayed in a “house” until God sent His Angel to free Peter out of jail.

Truly, prayer does change things. The Most High God does hear and answer simple, sincere, earnest prayer and He does not require any special “thing” to be used, only a clean, humble heart. So it did pleas our Mother’s God to send His Spirit to move in the hearts and minds of the authorities to release her that Sunday morning and the men of her organization put up bond for her the following Monday. Mother Koffey’s release from jail on a Sunday was hailed as a tremendous victory by her followers. To them, it was proof enough that God was on her side, because blacks of any rank, were never released from a Jacksonville jail on a Sunday. History was made in Jacksonville.

By Sunday morning, the news of Mother’s arrest, jailed and release had spread near and far. The devil was outdone again because even more people rejoiced that Mother was out of jail. Many crowded the house on Florida Avenue, where she resided. More crowds turned out to the meetings that Sunday afternoon and night to see and hear and greet Mother themselves. Her followers were very sorrowful that such a terrible thing had happened to their beloved Mother. Others were bitter and angry over the cowardly, dirty deed that had been carried out against her. Here it was, an innocent woman, away from home and only preaching the wonderful” Gospel of Glad Tidings”.

The above text is a PDF, but a true gem –do read the rest via:  http://www.lauraakofi.org/Jail_and_Court_Case_of_Princess_Laura_Adorkor_Koffey.pdf

 

Paulina says: Incredible –I love Princess Laura Adorkor Koffey aka “Mother Koffey even more, her life was epic… A social reformer, this native of Ghana “founded "The African Universal Church and Commercial League" in the United States. Its aim was to repatriate African-Americans back to the homeland of their forefathers in West Africa.” She was later assassinated on the pulpit –can you believe it? Princess Laura Adorkor Koffey aka “Mother Koffey needs her own day in the Ghanaian and American calendar, she really was way before her time.

Why haven’t I heard of Princess Laura Adorkor Koffey aka “Nubian Princess” until now??? I’m now wondering…….who else don’t I know about??? … I’m going to have to appropriate the MIS-Education of Paulina Nana aba op-Gy ---sharpish. Any way I look forward to seeing Laura Adorkor Koffey’s life turned into a film....

Rest in Perfect Peace Maamie Koffey… xx