THE HONORABLE MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY 1887 -1940
Without this man there would be no Elijah Muhammad (who was in the United Negro Approvement Association ( Garvey's Organization) branch in Detroit) no Minister Louis Farrakhan (who first became conscious hanging out with UNIA members in Boston) no Nation of Islam and definitely no Malcolm X (both of his parents were in the local UNIA in Omaha, Nebraska.
And Marcus Garvey even stayed the night over Malcolm’s parent’s house when he came to visit the branch there.).
There would be no Kwame Nkrumah, who led the first Afrikan nation, Ghana, to liberate themselves from European colonialism, thus giving confidence to other Afrikan leaders to liberate themselves like Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Nyerere of Tanzania, Nasser of Egypt, Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea and so on.
There would have been no Rastafarian movement (and you wouldn’t be walking around with locks on your head because this group popularized the style). And there definitely wouldn’t be a Bob Marley (who was a proud Rastafarian).
And guess what, there would be no Harlem Renaissance either because his news paper The Negro World (which had black writers in it from Canada, USA, the Caribbean, south America, Europe and Afrika) set up poetry contests in Harlem where local artists and poets could compete with each other.
Zora Neale Hurston and other poets got their chance to display their work in the Negro World long before the Renaissance of the thirties. He established businesses all over the US through his organization employing thousands of blacks all over the world.
He created the Universal African Legion, a paramilitary group where black men were armed and was charged with the responsibility of protecting their communities. This man and his ideas singlehandedly propelled hundreds of movements into existence.
The Universal Hip Hop Parade that many went to in New York yesterday is dedicated the memory of Marcus Garvey.
The Black Power movement of the sixties was a restimulation of Garvey’s ideas of Black Nationalism.
The list goes on and on, but yet I didn’t hear about him until I became conscious. Many people are not taught about him in grade school or college.
That is a real shame. I just did this little post to pay tribute to man I hold in high esteem, but to also give you a taste of significance of this man that many of us don’t know about.
I hope you do some research on him. I think you will be very enlightened by his life and ideas.
Mr Garvey I thank you for showing us how great we've always been and how great we will be again. I thank you for sacrificing personal fullfilment and happiness to struggle to the death for our liberation and freedom world wide.
I thank you for creating a blueprint for empowerment that the next leaders of the race can follow to liberate ourselves of the domination of our enemies.
Even though you arent given the credit that you are due I've found you in the world wind. The enemy tried to suppress your memory but i found you, when all hope was gone waiting for me with open arms.
From this day forward I make the declaration to be a "race man" as you put it, and use my gifts, talents and whatever else God gave me to put to the total liberation of all Afrikan people worldwide as the goal I will be constantly striving for.
If I can make a fraction of the contribution you made for us, my life would have meaning.
I will dedicate everyday of my life from now on to achieving the mission that you and other before you and since have tried to achieve.
This is my promise, this is my destiny.
ONE GOD, ONE AIM ONE DESTINY!
May your memory live on for a thousand genrations
3 comments:
...tis amazing how we could easily forget 'em who made great impact while they lived. But, much more, how we even forget some friends, while they are yet alive.
Awww how sweet of you. I never heard of him till now..I'll read up on him. Hiiiiiiiii James!!!!!! :)
thanx peoples
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