Munah Pelham-Youngblood facts for kids

Munah Evangeline Pelham-Youngblood was a politician from Liberia. She was born on September 22, 1983, and passed away on July 8, 2020. She was elected two times to the House of Representatives in Liberia. This is like being a member of parliament or congress in other countries. She was the youngest person ever chosen for Liberia's parliament. Munah Pelham-Youngblood was a strong supporter of the Congress for Democratic Change political party. She was also a close friend and advisor to President George Weah.

Early Life and Education

Munah Evangeline Pelham was born on September 22, 1983. Her father, Walter Maxwell Pelham Sr., was a senior officer in the Liberian National Police. He was also the head coach for the Liberia national football team. Her mother, Elizabeth Pelham, worked as a Comptroller for the House of Representatives.

Munah Pelham-Youngblood earned two degrees from the University of Liberia. She received a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in mass communications. She also earned a master's degree in international relations.

From Modeling to Politics

Before she became a politician, Munah Pelham-Youngblood worked as a fashion and runway model. She was also a beauty queen. She represented Liberia in two international beauty contests: Miss Malaika International in 2004 and Miss Silverbird International in 2005. In 2005, she was the first runner-up in the Miss Liberia contest.

In 2013, she married Dr. Raymond Youngblood, Jr., who works as an international gold miner. They had one daughter named Sarafina Munah Youngblood. Her husband helped introduce her to the world of politics.

Political Career and Achievements

Munah Pelham-Youngblood was elected to the House of Representatives from the 9th District of Montserrado County. This happened during the 2011 Liberian general election. She was only 27 years old at the time. She won against 20 other candidates in that election.

She was re-elected in the 2017 Liberian general election. Again, she ran as a candidate for the Congress for Democratic Change party. In this election, she defeated 13 other candidates.

Roles in the House of Representatives

In the House of Representatives, Munah Pelham-Youngblood held many important positions. She was the chairperson of the committee that dealt with the Executive branch of government. After George Weah became President of Liberia, she helped organize his important "State of the Nation" speeches in 2018 and 2019.

She also helped lead the Women's Legislative Caucus. This group supports women in politics. She later became the financial secretary for this caucus. She also co-chaired the Committee on Contracts, Monopolies, Public Procurement & Concession. This committee looked at government contracts and deals.

Munah Pelham-Youngblood was a member of several other committees. These included committees on Gender, Child Protection & Social Welfare, Youth & Sports, Foreign Affairs, Oil & Gas, and Banking & Currency. She also served as the secretary general for the Montserrado County Legislative Caucus. She led the Liberian group that worked with the World Bank and IMF Parliamentary Network.

Later Life and Passing

In April 2018, Munah Pelham-Youngblood became ill. She traveled outside of Liberia to get medical treatment. She visited Ghana, Ivory Coast, and India. While she was getting treatment in India, some false rumors spread online that she had passed away. Her family quickly corrected these rumors.

She returned to Liberia on July 18, 2018. A special church service was held to celebrate her return. In 2019, she spent ten months outside of Liberia again for more medical treatment. Sadly, she passed away in Accra, Ghana, on July 8, 2020. She was 36 years old.