By Danlette G. Washington
Today on ULAA Spotlight we are highlighting Darius Ricks.
Darius Ricks is the co-founder of Library for Africa.
He founded the Library for Africa alongside, Ms. Veleta Jenkins his college professor to build library for students and children in Liberia.
Coming from a third world country, Darius dream was to build a modern public library that can help people in Liberia and Africa at large.
When his mother brought him to the United States in 2016, Darius never forgot where he came from and the struggles he endured while living and going to school in Liberia.
Darius faced many difficulties in Liberia due to the poor economic status of the country. Due to that, he decided to find ways to help the young people like himself and the generation after him.
“My life in Liberia was difficult because I was very poor. When my loving mother brought me to America, I experienced a lot of challenges trying to figure out how I could best take advantage of the opportunities America has to offer,” Darius stated.
His dream to build a State of the Art Library came to reality with just one book laying on the floor in his classroom.
While attending college in 2018, Darius instructor Ms. Veleta Jenkins asked him to put an outdated book in the trash, instead Darius asked that he takes the book and send it to Liberia.
He later went on to ask his instructor to him him send more books back home to Liberia, West Africa to build a public library. His instructor, Ms. Veleta Jenkins promised to help him.
In 2019, Darius along with his instructor, Ms. Jenkins founded the Library for Africa, a Non-Profit Organization.
The goal of the organization is to build a modern public Library in Liberia.
In August 2022, they organized “Library For
Africa Inaugural African Extravaganza Gala” to raise $300,000 in order to build a State of the Art library in Liberia.
We are proud of Darius Ricks and the amazing works he is doing in the United States, Liberia, Africa and the world at large. Let us all continue to support him and make an impact for this generation and the next generation.
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