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Garveyism: a ’90S Perspective Francis E New Directions Volume 18 | Issue 2 Article 7 4-1-1991 Garveyism: A ’90s Perspective Francis E. Dorsey Follow this and additional works at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections Recommended Citation Dorsey, Francis E. (1991) "Garveyism: A ’90s Perspective," New Directions: Vol. 18: Iss. 2, Article 7. Available at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol18/iss2/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Howard @ Howard University. It has been accepted for inclusion in New Directions by an authorized administrator of Digital Howard @ Howard University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GARVEYISM A ’90s Perspective By Francis E. Dorsey Pan African Congress in Manchester, orn on August 17, 1887 in England in 1945 in which the delegates Jamaica, Marcus Mosiah sought the right of all peoples to govern Garvey is universally recog­ themselves and freedom from imperialist nized as the father of Pan control whether political or economic. African Nationalism. After Garveyism has taught that political power observing first-hand the in­ without economic power is worthless. Bhumane suffering of his fellow Jamaicans at home and abroad, he embarked on a mis­ The UNIA sion of racial redemption. One of his The corner-stone of Garvey’s philosophical greatest assets was his ability to transcend values was the establishment of the Univer­ myopic nationalism. His “ Back to Africa” sal Negro Improvement Association, vision and his ‘ ‘Africa for the Africans at UNIA, in 1914, not only for the promulga­ home and abroad” geo-political perspec­ tion of economic independence of African tives, although well before their time, are peoples but also as an institution and all accepted and implemented today. In fact, political base of operations. In other words, they were the catalysts for the “ Black is Garvey used the UNIA as a potent Beautiful” and “ Black Power” calls and economic weapon in the struggle for programs of the 1960s in the United States. peoples; political, economic and psycho- freedom. Economic independence was, Moreover, emphasis on unity and organiza­ cultural sovereignty for all African peoples; therefore, mounted as the major challenge tion by groups today draw directly from the and cooperatism.2 to exploitation and racism. According to Garvey Movement of the 1920s. Garvey Indeed, Garvey’s “ Back to Africa” vi­ Alphonso Pinkey, the UNIA “ became the was not an integrationist. He taught his sion had significance for African Americans first Black organization to embrace the followers to be proud that they were Black, in “ that once Africa had been freed from complete spectrum of Black nationalism, to cherish their African past, and to build colonial rule, Blacks in the United States and its leader was the first Black man to put for themselves their own civilization of the could be given aid in their fight for equal forth a comprehensive ideology of Black future.1 rights”. Garveyism linked the domestic nationalism.”3 struggle of African Americans to the inter­ The UNIA gave African Americans alter­ G arveyism national struggle of all African peoples. At natives to daily existence and resistance to Garveyism, within the Afrocentric context, that juncture, the liberation struggle reach­ exploitation and racism. African Americans views the liberation struggle in terms of ed its diasporan zenith. This is one of the then became involved in businesses, chur­ African nationalism versus European na­ greatest contributions of Garveyism to the ches and social organizations as UNIA tionalism. Garveyism is based on the salient Pan African Nationalist struggle. membership grew into the millions. These fact that African peoples have been op­ Garveyism represents the highest stage activities were extremely significant and pressed, exploited, and dehumanized to a in the development of 20th century Pan essential for imbuing in African Americans greater degree than any other race or class African nationalism. Despite the fact that a sense of racial pride and self-respect and of people in the history of mankind and that the Garvey Movement and Garvey himself confidence in their blackness/Africanity. At our Africanity is deeply rooted in our com­ were attacked by both Blacks and whites, the same time, Garveyism sought “to mon suffering and racial heritage. yet their ability to internationalize the restore to the Black man the manhood Garveyism seeks the total liberation of liberation struggle of African people re­ taken from him during centuries of Africans and all African peoples; unity, mains immutable. Garveyism sowed the slavery.” 4 At a UNIA international con­ stability, a Pan African nationalist mental seeds of financial and economic in- ference in New York on August 1, 1920, commonality; a sense of self, community; dependence/empowerment and the in­ delegates drafted a “ Declaration for the African nationhood, self-determination, sistence that Blacks should support Black Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World’ ’ self-reliance and a common destiny; the businesses. and demanded “certain basic (human) creation of Pan African nationalist solidari­ Also, Garveyism was very instrumental rights which would encourage the (African) ty and confraternity among all African in affecting the final resolution of the Fifth race and serve to stimulate it to a higher NEW DIRECTIONS SPRING 1991 destiny.’ ’5 Garveyism taught us that we are quirements external to one’s specific prejudice. For Gravey this was a two-fold somebody; we are African people; our cultural group, the possibility exists in ac­ problem. First, he was often accused of history is that of an African people; and that cepting a wholesome value system. creating division by developing and main­ our future is that of an African people. Because culture is a learned behavior, taining conflict between lighter and darker- It was indeed this consciousness in African Americans have often learned its skinned Africans. Nothing could be further Garvey’s geo-political and philosophical duality. As has been argued: ‘‘Black peo­ from the truth. Garvey recognized that perspectives that led him to promote the ple have been exposed to both a point of African people were victims of ‘ ‘color con­ values of territoriality, culture, religion and view that aims to co-opt Black people into sciousness” as well as circumstances. As economics as foundation elements in his Eurocentric culture, and a point of view that Garvey argues: “ What about colour, it conceptual framework of the UNIA. aims to exlude black people... .9 doesn’t amount to anything. It is only an ac- The elitist, exclusionist viewpoint tends cidnet. Nature had a purpose. It is hoped Territoriality to find fault with the victim and not those that in the new civilizatoin we will see no The concept of territory involves the ac­ [African] thinking his skin better than the quisition of land. A people cannot be total­ others.” 12 ly free without a home base. It is here Garvey’s other concern on race prejudice where they can grow within their culture, Gaveyism represents the was directed at Caucasians and their a culture which gives them identity, pur­ highest stage in the prevailing attitudes toward African people. pose and direction.6 If that land has offered He felt that race prejudice prevailed not so freedom—political, economic, social, development of 20th much because of the color of the Africans’ religious and cultural, then the land, the na­ century Pan African skin but toward their predicament under tion, in a sense, will be worshipped. But nationalism. the rule and domination of the white man. what happens when that land, that nation, As a result, Garvey believed that the prob­ has not historically allowed these lem would not be corrected by laws. He ‘ ‘freedoms’ ’ to emerge naturally? The peo­ asserted that: ‘ ‘.. .Within modem times the ple then, by choice at least in the United [African] race has not had any real States, according to the Consitution, have statesmen, and the masses of our people the political right to rebel. have always accepted the intentions and ac­ For the African American, civil rights tions of the statesmen and leaders of other have at times taken precedence over basic races as being directed in our interest as a human rights. It has been this conflict—the group in conjunction with the interests of suppression of civil rights and the conflict others. Such a feeling on our part caused between civil rights over basic human rights who have helped to perpetuate a negative us to believe that the Constitution of the —which have , in part, created a foundation or unrewarding environment. In other United States was not written for on which the land question has so often words, the dominant culture can have an [Africans], as well as the Constitutions of played a critical role in the lives of those everlasting effect upon how a people England, France, Italy, Germany and other African Americans who have not forgotten defines itself. Garvey understood this when countries where [Africans] happened to their history. A history not rooted in he came to the U.S. His first task was to have their present domicile, either as slavery, but another history of a free and create racial pride among the Black masses citizens or as subjects. That we suffer so independnet Africa. It is this viewpoint worldwide. His pride or “ Race-First” much today under whatsoever flag we live which led Garvey to articulate: philosophy can generally be placed in three is proof positive that constitutions and laws, ‘ ‘The [African American] needs a nation categories: 1) the issue of unity 2) the issue when framed by the early advocates of and a country of his own, where he can best of race prejudice and 3) the issue of pride human liberty, never included and were show evidence of his own ability in the art and heritage.10 never intended for us as a people.
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