“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.” - Marcus Garvey
The statement above reverberates the mantra of self liberation with such absolute instruction that Bob Marley quoted it in
Redemption Song. It is a command to seek knowledge of self; to learn collective self dignity; to find purpose and design destiny at a time when the
African-diaspora was still referred to as Negro, which is the Spanish word for black. It is the instruction of a prophet, no doubt, a trumpet sound, the sound of an abeng. It is a message that is as relevant today as it was in the 1920's.
It is a poignant decree whether read in university or penitentiary. Whether Rasta or Muslim or Hebrew- Israelite or Christian or even if your call goes out to Shango. Whatever the culture, region or class, Marcus' statement knew "no national boundary where the Negro is concerned."
Now just in case you ain't nevah hear, Marcus Garvey was convicted of trumped up charges in an attempt to derail the strides he was making in the world-wide liberation of Black masses. (Yes I said trumped up because that's what the hell they were. And if you want learn more bout the trial, if yuh nevah read it before, go check di bredren
Geoffrey Philp who has summarized the whole travesty) The point is that in this day and time, we cannot allow this injustice to carry on longer.
“Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter”-African Proverb
We need to rewrite history when we know it has intentionally muddled
ourstory, wrongfully belittled our leaders. So join in petitioning Barack Obama to clear the name of
Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
Just a few of Marcus' contributions in the struggle for liberation:
Image via Wikipedia
- UNIA- founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association which at one time boasted up to 5 million members in hundreds of chapters world wide (Cuba had couple dozen)
- The Flag- the Red, Black, Green
- The Black Star Line- fleet of ships
- Media like Negro World which at the time was the largest circulated Black weekly newspaper
- set blue print/model for vertical integration and cooperative economics for Black businesses
- championed the Pan-Africanism cry
Some of Marcus Garvey's utterances that have influenced us:
- "One Aim; One God; One Destiny."
- "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."
- "Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will."
- "Africa for the Africans... at home and abroad!"
- "Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men."
- "Chance has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people."
Some of our leaders who were influenced by Garvey:
- Kwame Nkrumah
- Sekou Ture
- Malcolm X
- Kwame Ture/Stokely Carmichael
- Nyerere
- Patrice Lumumba
- Walter Rodney
- Noble Drew Ali
- Jomo Kenyatta
Now one thing The
Abeng and My Conscious Pen wants to make perfectly clear is that while I support the cause of Garvey's name being cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, I do not feel we as The People need to be grovelling or making apologies for him. Garvey was a freedom fighter like Sam Sharpe, Cuffy,
Zumbi dos Palmares and held as a political prisoner in the same manner as Mandela,
Toussaint L'Ouverture, Geronimo. I don't care how others see Marcus, I and I hold him in greatest regards.
Here is the Petition http://signon.org/sign/clear-marcus-garveys?source=c.fb&r_by=217693
