Tiawan Saye Gongloe is New Narratives media lawyer and legal trainer. Cllr. Gongloe is a distinguished Liberian lawyer, educator, and human rights advocate, celebrated for his unwavering commitment to justice, human rights, and the rule of law. A fearless human rights lawyer, Cllr. Gongloe has faced persecution for his advocacy. In 2002, under the regime of President Charles Taylor, he was detained and severely tortured by state security forces, leading to an international outcry. This forced him into exile in the United States for three years, during which he continued his advocacy. He returned to Liberia after Taylor’s departure in 2003, resuming his fight for justice and democracy.
Cllr. Gongloe has served in various capacities in the Liberian government, including Executive Assistant to interim President Amos Sawyer (1990–1994), Solicitor General under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (2006–2009), and Minister of Labor (2009–2010). He resigned from his ministerial role due to policy disagreements, underscoring his integrity and commitment to principle.
On the international stage, Cllr. Gongloe served as a United Nations observer during South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994 and as an electoral dispute consultant for The Carter Center in Ethiopia in 2005. His work has earned numerous awards, including recognition from Human Rights Watch in 2003 and the Bayard Rustin Freedom Award. In Liberia, he has been honored as “Man of the Year” and “Human Rights Lawyer of the Year” by various organizations.
A prolific writer, Cllr. Gongloe’s articles have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous Liberian publications. He has also contributed to legal education as an Assistant Professor of Law at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law and previously taught economics at the University of Liberia. Passionate about literacy, he has taught adult education at the Loma Community School, the Police Academy, and the Judicial Service Institute.
Popularly called the “poor man’s” lawyer, for his legal services for the poor, he is now called the “Broom Man”, for his role as a leader in the fight against corruption. During the 2023 presidential and Legislative elections, in which he ran for president, Cllr. Gongloe introduced the symbolic use of the broom as a tool for national renewal, advocating for a clean sweep of corruption from government. This message resonated widely with Liberians, inspiring hope for a transparent and accountable public service. As the candidate of the Liberian People’s Party he placed sixth among 20 candidates.
Cllr. Gongloe has held leadership roles in the legal profession, including President of the Liberian National Bar Association and lifetime membership on the Governing Board of the African Bar Association.
Through his resilience, service, and advocacy, Tiawan Saye Gongloe has cemented his legacy as one of Liberia’s most courageous and principled leaders, inspiring generations to uphold the values of justice and equality.
Cllr. Gongloe holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Liberia in 1981 and an LLB from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law in 1987. In 1990, he became the first Liberian to obtain a certificate in Human Rights Advocacy from Columbia University in New York. He later served as a research fellow at Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute and as a Human Rights Policy Fellow at Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.