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Who Is Marcus Garvey A Pan-African Activist?

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Hailed as “easily the most controversial figure associated with Harlem in the 1920s”, it is undeniable that Marcus Garvey’s idiosyncratic nature earned him some attention. However, this recognition was terminable. Although Garvey was once labeled a “hero to millions of blacks”, the title was fleeting. Garvey’s initial veneration, is largely due to his political philosophy, which contributed greatly to his popularity (Gates and Smith 984). Furthermore, the original degree of his adoration, made his decline dramatic. For starters, Garvey’s political platform was a Pan-African movement. Meaning, that African Americans should abandon the ‘American dream’ and “concentrate upon the object of building up for themselves a great nation in Africa” …show more content…

However, aside from his mere Pan-African notion, it was his presentation of this argument that gained him the acknowledgement that he is applauded for. Garvey’s audience, African American and dissatisfied with their current situations, were easily riled up by his brilliant rhetorical strategies. Specifically, aware of their frustration, as well as his own, Garvey corroborates this dismay when he pessimistically pens that is impossible for a black man to “work out his existence alongside the white man in countries founded and established by the latter” ("Africa for the Africans" 986). Following this, in The Future as I See It, he cultivates hope by offering a vow of contentment to those who agree to his Pan-African call-to-action ("The Future as I See It" 989). This strategy, in conjunction with his propagation of African American pride through reverse-psychology, gained Garvey a huge following. On the subject of his reverse-psychology, he suggested that some believe African American to be too faint to survive Africa, consequently making more want to join his cause in order to prove the imaginary skeptics wrong ("Africa for the

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