MacDella Cooper

MacDella Cooper (born March 13, 1977) is a Liberian philanthropist and founder of the MacDella Cooper Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and women in Liberia. In October 2016, Cooper announced her intention to run for the Presidency of Liberia in the 2017 Liberian National Elections, but was eliminated in the first round with 0.7% of the vote.

MacDella Cooper
Born (1977-03-13) March 13, 1977
Monrovia, Liberia
Alma materThe College of New Jersey
OccupationFounder of MacDella Cooper Foundation, Presidential Candidate
Children3
Websitemacdellacooper.com

Early life

Cooper was born in Monrovia and lived in Liberia at the outbreak of the First Liberian Civil War.[1] The war forced Cooper into exile in neighboring Côte d’Ivoire where she spent her early teenage years as a refugee before migrating to the United States in 1993. She attended and graduated from Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey, where she was one of the top-ranked students in her class, and subsequently earned a full scholarship to The College of New Jersey. Cooper earned a degree in Communications.[2][3]

Career

Cooper began her professional career as fashion model and planner and worked extensively in New York City, Paris, London and Milan. Cooper modeled for clients such as Ralph Lauren and Jones Apparel and appeared regularly in publications such as Glamour and Marie Claire.[4]

MacDella Cooper Foundation and Academy

In 2003, Cooper launched the MacDella Cooper Foundation, a nonprofit working in service of underprivileged children and women in Liberia. In December 2010, the MacDella Cooper Foundation opened the first school in Liberia to offer free tuition, including room and board.[5] Located in Charlesville, Margibi County, Liberia, the school, the MacDella Cooper Academy currently houses 80 Students, aged 4 to 13 years.[6] The school's building was designed by award-winning Dutch-American architect Winka Dubbeldam.

Political career

Cooper ran for President of Liberia in the 2017 elections and collected 0.7% of the votes. She is a candidate for the Montserrado County Senatorial elections scheduled on July 02nd, 2020. [7]

Family

Cooper lives in Monrovia, Liberia with her three children, Ella-Dean, Hilareal-George and Primo-Mateo. Cooper's husband, Thomas Tafuto, died from cancer in 2013. The fathers of two of her children are former Citigroup CEO Richard Parsons, and former professional football player George Weah.

References
  1. First 2017 Female Presidential Aspirant, Liberia Daily Observer, October 28, 2016
  2. Meet MacDella Cooper, the former refugee running to be Liberia's next female president, International Business Times UK, November 16, 2016
  3. MacDella Cooper: on finding your calling Archived 2017-02-17 at the Wayback Machine, Woman Change Maker | an eMagazine about women driving social change, April 3, 2015
  4. MacDella Cooper Hosts Champions Of Education Benefit, Hamptons.com, July 28, 2009
  5. ZEN Magazine: Top 10 African Women Of The Year For 2013, January 6, 2016
  6. "MacDella Cooper Academy website". Archived from the original on 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  7. https://frontpageafricaonline.com/politics/liberia-senatorial-candidate-macdella-cooper-promises-foreign-direct-investment-when-elected/
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