The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey
Edited by Amy Jacques Garvey
In recent days I was reminded of the legacy of Marcus Garvey, therefore I purchased a book of Marcus Garvey's philosophy, edited by Amy Jacques Garvey.
After going through the book, I feel safe in saying this much: historic events don't just happen, they happen for a reason. The enslavement of the black race and the cultural traits it produced are the greatest forces preventing the "unification" of black people for our own common good.
Most people will be satisfied with "only" being able attain a peaceful and prosperous life for themselves and their families, one that is free from the social stigma associated with the customary categorization of people by race, ethnicity, religion, gender or even sexual preference.
An objective education, one that is derived from past historic events, holds the key to inciting people in the shaping of a better tomorrow, one free from the threat of any type of domination.
Consider this: history shows that allied forces conformed by the United States, England, France and the Soviet Union were "finally" able to "unify" and went on to defeat Adolf Hitler and his powerful German Army. However, the alliance was late and was not able to prevent the extermination of millions of Jews.
I don't know how the Jews felt about the delayed unification of the allied forces, but I have come to understand that many war scholars perceive the allies' delay as a self-serving one as it relates to the many material rewards of war.
True or not, this aspect of the story of the Jewish holocaust shows that lack of unity, or a delayed unification, or a life based solely on the pursuit of self-serving interest, can be more beneficial to the perpetuation of evil, poverty and domination, and less beneficial to the promotion of peace prosperity and cultural diversity amongst the races.
Still, today, like it was yesterday, a great number of black people from all walks of life around the world, tired of the stigma associated with their race, shun unity with those within their racial group who profess to want to make things better for other blacks living in substandard conditions, not only in their own community, but also around the world.
For example, if going back to Africa like Garvey promoted was the right thing to do, I am afraid that I too, impacted by slavery and the acquisition of new cultures, will find it a difficult cause with which to unite. Instead, like other black leaders during Garvey's time, I would consider it highly feasible that we unify right where we live before we even consider going to the next level.
The book could be a challenge for people with poor or no reading habits or for those who, when it comes to books about social activism, they tend to want to get rid of the baby with the bath water. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey is a combination of old school radical activism and Bible-like wisdom and metaphors that can easily incite unity.
I recommend the book , yet it must be read objectively and within the context of today's society. This is the kind of book that can stimulate social consciousness. It may do the same for you --- unless you have become like the miseducated negroes described in the book.
Online Garvey bibliography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marcus_Garvey_Bibliography
See especially "Message to the People: The Course of African Philosophy," by Marcus Garvey. Edited by Tony Martin. Foreword by Charles L. James.
Also in this section:
Cool Internet sites
Children's literature: The Shadeless Kingdom
Books: Marcus Garvey's words come to pass
