It’s been 78 years since the death of Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first national hero who advocated for Black nationalism in Jamaica and particularly the United States.
Born on August 17, 1887, Garvey in 1914 started the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), in Jamaica, which protested against racial discrimination and encouraged self-government for black people all over the world.
Garvey, who also founded the Black Star Line, went to the USA in 1916 where he preached his doctrine of freedom to the blacks who were being oppressed. His actions did not go down well with US officials, and he was imprisoned. He was later deported.
After his unsuccessful national election in Jamaica, Garvey went to England and died in 1940 following a stroke which left him paralysed.
Garvey while alive advanced a Pan-African philosophy which inspired a global mass movement, known as Garveyism. Even though some black leaders condemned his methods and his support for racial segregation, Garvey still attracted a lot of people.
Schools, highways, and buildings in Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States have since been named in his honour.
In honour of his memory, Face2face Africa brings you seven quotes Garvey will always be remembered for.
