Virginia, Liberia was named after the American state by the people who settled there in the late 1800s. Many of the people who live there are descendents of African Americans. It remains a rural community, but is now caught in the middle of a civil war. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
The area around Virginia, Liberia, isn’t protected by either govenment or rebel forces, so most residents have fled in fear. No humanitarian assistance has reached there due to the security situation. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
The Rev. Dr. James E. Davis is a descendent of African American settlers who came to Liberia in the late 1800s. His grandfather settled in the area called Virginia, where Dr. Davis still lives with his family. At 72, Davis is the father of 49 children. He is pictured with his youngest son. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Johnny Thorpe, 72, holds a photograph of his grandfather and grandmother who came to Liberia from Virginia in 1896. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
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Henry Zolu Gant, right, age 73 and his brother Edwin Gant, left, are descendents of African Americans who came to Liberia in the late 1800s from Chicago. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Virginia, Liberia remains a rural community, but is now caught in the middle of a civil war. The area isn’t protected by either govenment of rebel forces, so most residents have fled in fear. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
In a decade of civil war in Liberia, Henry Zolu Gant, 73, has lost all his possessions, seen his wife and daughter injured, and lost an eye. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
