The year 2014 is special for Garveyites and the Pan African Community: it is the centenary of the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association), founded by Garvey for the purpose of race consciousness and development. Garvey, in introspect, asked himself a number of soul searching questions: “Where is the black man’s government? Where is his king and his kingdom? Where is his president? Where is his ambassador, his country, his men of big affairs?”
His answer: “I could not find them, and then I declared, ‘I will help to make them.” In his resolve to change the condition of his race, Marcus Mosiah Garvey established the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and the African Community League (ACL) in 1914, in Jamaica.
In a mere two years after , 1916, the UNIA had grown into the largest Pan-African organization ever with 1100 branches in over 50 countries, with a membership of six million delegates. The UNIA would have weekly meetings where there were regular debates on current topics ranging from politics, religion, etc. There were also regular lectures given by prominent citizens in Agriculture, Chemistry, and Botany and so on. The UNIA held classes in various subjects such as Latin and Roman History, English History, English Language, French, Spanish, Geography, Logic and Mathematics. The UNIA also did charitable and social works.
“Garvey formed the organizations (UNIA) and the African Community League (ACL) both as a race fraternity and a business fraternity”, Steve Golding, president of the Kingston Division of the UNIA, said. Golding, who promotes the mantra of Garvey’s African Fundamentalism, expressed, “we are building businesses such as Café Africa, a distribution company for black businesses that are making products like palm oil, castor oil and roots wines. From a strategic point of view, there is no other African restaurant in Jamaica.
The President of the Kingston Division of the UNIA also spoke of the objectives and achievements of the organization which, now under his tenure, is in a rebuilding phase. “The UNIA in the last 15 years has been rebuilding this division. Our greatest mission is to spread Garveyism: in the prisons, schools and teachers’ colleges. “
“The prison project has been going on for the past three years. We are now about to establish a programme aimed at preparing inmates to return to society. We are dedicated to the cause of African redemption,” revealed Golding, who teaches Garveyism at the Hydel High School.
Golding believes there should have been consultations with the UNIA regarding the introduction of Garveyism in the curriculum of general school system. “How can you expect teachers to teach what they have not learnt? They should be consulting with the UNIA because we are the keepers of Garveyism. “
How relevant are the philosophy and opinions of Marcus Garvey today, one hundred years after he founded the UNIA? Excerpts of a speech he gave on the steps of the Ward Theatre on March 29, 1930 best supplies the answer. “…In every civilized country of the world, they use the land to improve the condition of the people. It is so in
England, it is so in America…
“Let me explain that government has over 250,000 acres of Crown lands in St Catherine, St Thomas, Portland, St Mary, St Ann, Manchester and Clarendon. Jamaica is an agricultural country. Its products are wanted in all markets of the world where winter prevents them from producing our products, as we do all year round.
“All that the government has to do is to raise two or three million pounds and invest same in these lands for the production of marketable products; just as the United Fruit Company is doing. This company makes millions out of the banana industry. Why can’t our government do the same for a variety of our products”? That 84-year-old speech, is just one of many examples why the philosophy and opinions of Marcus Garvey need to be taught in schools.
He never set foot on the soil of Africa, yet nearly all the pre-independence African leaders got their inspirations from Marcus Garvey, whose mission was to be at the vanguard of the African Renaissance as we head towards the 21st century. His impact is so far reaching, that many of the leaders who pioneered the National African Congress (ANC) were inspired by Marcus Garvey’s teachings, philosophy and opinions. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana wrote in his autobiography that it was the book Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey from which he got his greatest inspiration.
The first National Hero is in a way, the father of the Jamaican culture. In the performing arts, he was drawn to elocution and debating activities as he recognized the importance of eloquence in improving self-confidence. He was convinced that the arts and culture had pivotal roles to play in the achievement of the racial pride and upliftment that was central to his philosophical ideals for black people.
Against this background, Garvey established Edelweiss Park, a cultural space in Kingston that provided a platform for the performing arts. Out of the Edelweiss Park cultural experiences, came several Jamaican entertainers. Among them are likes of the late great Randolph ‘Ronny’ Williams (Mass Ran), the late Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Florizel Glaspole, who was part of the comedian duo Ike and Mike. Ike is Eric Coverlet, the husband Louise Bennett Coverley ‘Miss Lou’, the mother of Jamaican culture. And Glass pole was Mike. Other entertainers included Bam and Bam, Kidd Harold (Smith), Arthur ‘Saga’ Bennett and Ernest Cupid on. Garvey himself wrote plays and poems for presentation. His plays included ‘Slavery – From Hut to Mansion’, ‘Coronation of An African King’, and ‘Roaming Jamaica’.
There is a series of activities in Jamaica to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the UNIA. It started on July 20th with a wreath laying and prayer service at the Garvey shrine in National Heroes Park, with participation of various religious denominations. There will be some mass meetings around the island. There will also be the UNIA Film series, the UNIA International Centenary Conference from August 10-17 at Garvey House at 97 Duke Street, Downtown Kingston which is the headquarters of the UNIA. The conference will culminate with the annual Marcus Garvey Awards. Keep the legacy alive!