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Robtel Neajai Pailey is a Liberian scientist, author, and human rights activist. After studying at the University of Oxford and the School of Oriental and African Studies, she teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE).
As part of her scientific and literary productions, she is particularly interested in various phenomena affecting developing countries, including Liberia, and introduces the critique of the white savior phenomenon regarding liberal human rights activism. For her, it is necessary to decolonize the struggle for human rights, both in developing and developed countries.
Robtel Neajai Pailey was born in Liberia. She began her studies at the University of Oxford in 2006, where she received a scholarship.[1] She then studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies, a branch of the University of London. There, she defended her thesis titled "The Love of Liberty Divided Us Here? Factors Leading to the Introduction and Postponement in Passage of Liberia’s Dual Citizenship Bill"[2] in 2014. While still preparing her thesis, she was already involved in the fight against poverty and corruption.[3] During this time, she wrote articles for several international newspapers, such as The New York Times, Africa Today or The Guardian. In these articles, she highlighted the persistent colonial ties between Liberia and the United States.[4]
In 2013, she published a children's book called Gbagba, which depicts the journey of twins and addresses the issue of corruption. The researcher later became an assistant professor at the London School of Economics (LSE).[5]
Her scientific contributions focus particularly on colonial and post-colonial issues. She tackles the problematization and study of the white savior dynamics in the struggles against inequalities affecting disadvantaged countries. The researcher also aims to demonstrate that in many institutions seeking the economic development of developing countries, decisions are still made through a lens shaped by Western[6] and white perspectives. Thus, many of the decision-makers at the head of these institutions are white.
Furthermore, she critiques the emphasis on the evolution of countries based on a productivist approach tied to economic development.