Monrovia, Liberia: On this 175th anniversary of the independence of Liberia in on July 26,1847, the Vai Tribe of Liberia  and its sister tribe, the Quiyoughcohannock of the Powhatan Confederacy in  Surry County, Virginia, USA,  announce  the establishment of the first of its kind, the  American Basketball Association (ABA )professional men’s and women’s basketball team in Liberia dedicated to the Vai Tribe, Native American and  Native American Black descendants, and their ancestors in Virginia  and across the United States. ” It is only fitting that the announcement be made on this day in Liberia as the first African republic proclaiming its independence,  as Africa’s first and the oldest modern republic.  We are excited about our upcoming ABA TV channel on ABAGALE, the American Basketball Association’s TV channel, and providing marketing and sales opportunities to our players, fans and businesses thoughout Liberia and Africa comments Mr. Diamond Anderson, the CEO of  the American Basketball Association, (ABA)Liberia and Virginia descendant family. “We look forward to the VIBE Nets joining our Native American Basketball League, and the exhibition games this fall” outlines, WarLance Foster, the CEO of Native ABA.


In it to win it, the VIBE  Nets,  will serve as ambassadors who on Liberian, African and U.S. basketball courts and will  jump start the telling of the untold story of  the settlers from Virginia whose tribal families today are committed to preserving, protecting and supporting  the connection and reconnection of our Native American and Native American Black tribal member families’ heritage , history, culture and folkways” comments  Quiyoughcohannock Co-Chiefs Jenever Brown and Claudette Lockett.  

The Vai Tribe and Virginia’s Quiyoughcohannocks’ VIBE Nets will hold tryouts in August and September; dates and places will be announced later. To support the team, its U.S. exhibition tour this fall, and tribal “Nothing But Net” programs including expanding a network to reconnect  to Liberia families, the Native American and Native American Black family members in Virginia and across the United States that left in the 1800s for Liberia with sports, cultural and business exchanges; internet for everyone, increasing the number of fishing nets for the fishing industry in Robertsport, Liberia and clean up nets for trash and plastics in Liberia rivers and the James River in Virginia, formally known as the Quiyoughcohannock River;  genetic research in Native American and Native American Black traits and diseases also found in Liberia from Virginia and the United States; to robotic cybernetics building basketball shooting robots and robots and drones for  hospitality and security industries, telemedicine, public safety to underwater archeological artifact  all supported by the Vibe Nets’ online Excelsior University Project  created to facilitate associate, bachelor and higher degrees as well as certificates to support ABA players, staff and fans. The Tip Off is here. To learn more  about the team’s positive vibes go to vibenothingbut.net .  It’s the new sound of progress.  


The Quiyoughcohannock of the Powhatan Confederacy of Surry, Virginia  also announces its intention to seek Federal Acknowledgement as an Indian tribe in the United States.  “For the last five years,  members of Vai Tribe and Quiyoughcohannock  have met  to discuss a shared heritage, history and future to  re-establish and reconnect tribal families to tell the untold story of the Native Americans and Native American Blacks settlers in Liberia” comments Dr. Otis Young, Vai  Tribe.  These families left Virginia with the American Colonization Society (ACS), originally known as the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America. Virginia Quiyoughcohannock ancestors across Liberia today, cherish the efforts of the Virginians who filed freedom suits in Virginia courts in the 1800s and in the United States to prove their Native American heritage and thus their freedom. Today, Joseph Jenkins Roberts of Virginia,the first Liberia President, my ancestor  from Virginia who too emigrated to Liberia, is smiling” comments Sandy Roberts.  Today, my Virginia Anderson family ancestors would be proud” acknowledges Dr. Murvee Anderson, CEO of the American Basketball Association, (ABA) Africa.  “And today the entire American Basketball Association family joins in this celebration. The ABA was established in 1967 and merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976 [New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets]. Some of the ABA notable players in the United States were: Julius Irving (Dr. J) of the ABA’s Virginia Squires, George Gervin (The Iceman), Ricky Barry, Moses Malone along with, many others that went on to become NBA players. The ABA was reformed in 2000 in partnership with the NBA and has been operating in harmony for the past 21 years and is one of the largest professional sports leagues in the world.  The world is waiting for Africa to join the league and the world is waiting for the telling of this story” says Joe Newman, CEO of the American Basketball Association.