We would like to acknowledge and honors the contributions of our great Ancestors. We will focus on those Ancestors of both mordern and ancient times who have contributed to the evolution of civilization in general and African people specifically. During this time we would like to recognize and highlight the role of Marcus Garvey(1887-1940)
MARCUS MESSIAH GARVEY
“Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm…look for me all around you, for with God’s grace, I shall come and bring with me countless millions of Black slaves who have died in America and the West Indies and the millions in Africa to aid you in the fight for Liberty, Freedom and Life.” Marcus Messiah Garvey
The African (African-America, African-Caribbean, African-Brazilian, African British, etc.) struggle for justice, freedom and equality in the western world, like all struggles of oppressed peoples everywhere, has produced leaders of exceptional ability and unswerving dedication to a cause. The single focus of purpose, the breadth of vision, the belief in the righteousness of his work, the boldness born of conviction, these characteristics made Marcus “Messiah” Garvey both the most loved and the most feared and hated Black man of his time. Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica in 1887, he came to New York in 1917 where he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the Negro World, a weekly paper that was the vehicle for his views. Garvey envisioned and struggled for a free Africa to which Negroes/Africa-American, African- Caribbean, African-Brazilian might emigrate. He also founded the Negro Factories Corporation and the Black Star Steamship Line. Outlined below is a brief demonstration which expresses Marcus political and philosophy thought regarding the plight of the Africans and Africans throughout the Diaspora.
Marcus Garvey had such an acute understanding of the dynamics of Black people during his time that he realized that it was extremely important for him to make an appeal to their conscience, first, for them to see themselves and subsequently, change their condition (economical, socially, psychologically and spiritually). He wanted Black people to see themselves as a group, but more important, to employ the principles of organization. Initially, Marcus believed that it was a difficult task in organizing and keeping together large numbers of the Negro race for the common good. He pointed out that “many have tried to congregate us, but have failed”, citing that the reason relates to our unique characteristics (resulting from slavery) which keep us more apart than together.
Marcus observed that it was “the evil of internal division (our mental mind set of seeing ourselves as inferior) which is wrecking our existence as a people, and if we do not seriously and quickly move in the direction of a readjustment (changing our mental mind set) simply means that our doom becomes imminently conclusive.” He believed “that the whole world was turned against the Negro and the difficulty of our generation is to extricate ourselves from the prejudice that hides itself beneath, as well as above the action of the international environment”. There are many reasons that produce the condition of prejudice, however, according to Marcus, “the Negro supplies consciously and/or unconsciously all the reasons by which the world seems to ignore and avoid the Negro”. He further asserts that it is because “the Negro keeps himself in a poor state, helpless and undemonstrative, it is natural also that no one wants to identify with him.”
After such observation, Marcus noted that it was the responsibility of the Universal Negro Improvement Association to teach our race self-help and self-reliance, not only in one essential, but in all those things that contribute to human happiness and well-being. Marcus strongly believed that it is because we (the Negro) depends upon the other races for their kindness and sympathetic consideration to fulfill our needs, without making an effort to do for ourselves. For this reason, Marcus see that this behavior result in a degrading and disgraceful position in the world. Therefore, it is critical, said Marcus, “that the race aggressively focus on material achievement, and by our own effort and energy present to the world those forces by which the progress of man is judged”.
Eventually, Marcus’s thought evolved to a position of wanted to see the Negro develop his own nation and country. “The Negro needs a nation and a country of his own, where he can best show evidence of his own ability in the art of human progress. Marcus asserted that no Negro, whether he is African American, African British, African Caribbean or African, shall be truly respected until the race as a whole has emancipated itself, through self-achievement and progress, from universal prejudice. The Negro will have to build his own government, industry, art, science, literature and culture, before the world will stop to consider him as a full human being.
Remember, Marcus made these comments and observations in 1923. Do you think they are still relevant and if they are, what are you doing to unite the African race?
This is what Marcus had to say about Race Assimilation:
“Some Negro leaders have advanced the belief that in another few years the white people will make up their minds to assimilate their black populations; thereby sinking all racial prejudice in the welcoming of the black race into the social companionship of the white. Such leaders further believe that by the amalgamation of black and white, a new type will spring up, and that type will become the American and West Indian of the future.”
This belief is preposterous stated Marcus, “I believe that white men should be white, yellow men should be yellow, and black men should be black in the great panorama of races, until each and every race by its own initiative lifts itself up to the common standard of humanity, as to compel the respect and appreciation of all, and so make it possible for each one to stretch out the hand of welcome without being able to be prejudiced against the other because of any inferior and unfortunate condition.
Marcus asserts that the white man of America will not, to any organized extent, assimilate the Negro, because in doing so, he feels that he will be committing racial suicide. He further states that “it is true {the white man} has illegitimately carries on a system of assimilation; but such assimilation, as practiced, is one that he is not prepared to support because he becomes prejudiced against his own offspring is the product of black and white; hence, to the white man the question of racial differences is eternal. So long as Negroes occupy an inferior position among the races and nations of the world, just so long will others be prejudiced against them, because it will be profitable for them to keep up their system of superiority. In his inspiring manner, Marcus noted that the Negro by “his own initiative lifts himself from his low state to the highest human standard he will be in a position to stop begging and praying, and demand a place that no individual, race or nation will be able to deny him. – 1922.
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