Pan Africanism and Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr.

Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey shared some similar ideologies, however to a large extent Washington’s philosophies contradict Garvey’s outlook on African American society. Washington was known for accommodating the white people’s desires. For instance, “he advised African Americans to accept segregation, work hard for the friendship of whites, and achieve economic equity”. Washington probably encouraged African Americans to accept their circumstances, because he knew that fighting against norms would be a difficult task to accomplish and he wanted the race to better themselves through hard work during an era of prejudice. This belief contradicts Garvey’s ideas, because Garvey believed that pleasing the white man was the issue that prevented African Americans from being viewed as equals in the society. Although both men believed that working hard would gain Blacks an advantage in their community, Washington advocated for satisfying the white man while Garvey’s thoughts of Black Nationalism lied in the separate rights of Blacks and keeping the white man out of their way to success. Garvey’s ideology to promote economic equality of the black race was not liked by the white race, and compared to Washington’s policy of accommodation and gradual progress, was more acceptable to whites.

During the 19th and 20th century African Americans faced Discrimination in the United States. Three African Americans took roles of leadership and began trying to uplift the lives of blacks in society. Those who took control of this movement were Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey and W.E.B Dubois. These activists wanted the same result and implemented different techniques to follow their similar hopes for blacks in America. Each of these leaders has allowed America to develop in extensive ways for several years and those yet to come. Alternate pathways were taken by each leader to resolve the overall issue of racism. These issues include things such as not having the right to vote,own property and prevent lynchings. This paper will argue that had Garvey's theory of the new negro and Dubois’ ideas of education been implemented, racism in America would have been reduced because the allocation of education would allow for their to become a new negro. The application of Marcus Garvey's theory including thoughts of W.E.B Dubois’ on racism would have brought white power to an end.

Marcus Garvey, was born in Jamaica in 1887 and is considered to be the father of the Black Nationalism Movement. During the early 1900’s, after reading Booker T.

African-Americans attempted to establish themselves and prove to whites that they were capable citizens. Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association emphasized racial pride and economic self-help, and Booker T. Washington, leading spokesperson for the plight of African-Americans, told blacks to ignore racial slurs and inferiority comments while working to build self-dignity and worth. Washington believed that in order to identify themselves, they had to cooperate with whites and gain respect over time. In Addition, many African-Americans began to define themselves as a race in the nineteenth century by leaving white churches and creating their own. They worshiped according to their own customs, chose leaders, managed religious affairs, and established a lifestyle of their own. The African-Americans as a race attempted to define themselves as dignified, economically independent citizens.

     Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born into a poor family on August 17, 1887 at St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Marcus was born the youngest of 11

Also during this time Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL), in which they both aimed to bring opportunities into the African American community. Not only did this help make African Americans feel proud of their race, but it also brought them together, not only in New York, but all over the country. They soon began to create a lifestyle for themselves that was equivalent to the White Americans and began to advance in the areas of jazz music, art, and literature. All this is what was starting to become known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Bois was not allowed to join clubs and dances due to his skin color. With his

According to Marcus Garvey, the “Negro’s greatest enemy” were white people and politicians. Essentially, politicians, of every race, were blocking his efforts. Garvey communicated that there was no solution to this problem, unless black people created their own country. This would have given them economical and social freedom. Since God was their inspiration, it was always intended that everyone was free, and not was not to be enslaved by others. Garvey thought that no one should ever feel superior, when it came to race. Although, Garvey did not outright convey who the “enemy” was, it can be interpreted that white people were the enemy.

The 1920’s were a time of change for African Americans. They were beginning to retain a sense of pride in their background and culture, were becoming more independent socially and economically, and were becoming more militant. Part of this was because of the Great Migration, in which a proliferation of African Americans moved from the Southern states to the Northern states, and the excessive levels of racism and prejudice they faced during the process. African Americans were really starting to make their voices and identities prevalent, especially through movements like the Harlem Renaissance and Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). This mentality of independence and militance that African Americans adopted which is represented through the actions of Ossian Sweet is what makes up the 1920s cultural construct of the “New Negro” which allowed me to understand the realness and effectiveness of cultural constructs.

The world has come a very long way since segregation was demolished with the help of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This has opened a lot of doors for African Americans in the United States. Better job opportunities and better chances at managing a stable family life. Sadly as time has passed and we have rolled into the 21st century things aren’t looking so great for the African males in school. This rate changes from time to time, yet we don’t know why or what it really is. So, what is the average graduation rate for African American males and why?

The NAACP's main focal points were: The abolition of segregation; equal voting rights; educational opportunities for black people; the enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Despite the main focuses of the NAACPs campaigns, it could be argued that the main thing they did for the progress of Black Equality was the uniting of Blacks under one force; by 1918 there were around 43,994 members in the NAACP. This gathering of Blacks under one organisation cannot be ignored, for the first time the African-Americans of America were joining together in order to fight for their freedom.

Through life’s phases, many develop perfunctory habits. Many start to lose that site of creativity and enthusiasm that can bring forth positive results. However, this is not the case for everyone when their republic is funded on principles of faith, liberty, and justice. It is not the case when an individual knows he is equally as good as his companions without the comparison of skin color. Frederick Douglass’ speech titled, “What the Black Man Wants” and the speech of Ralph J. Bunche titled, “The Barriers of Race Can be Surmounted” are 84 years apart. However, both display a few of the same philosophies that can even be found in today’s modern speeches. Both speeches understand the African-American affliction/disadvantage, lack of knowledge

Nonetheless, Garvey’s vision for Negroes was that we can do anything that we set our minds to regardless of the circumstances that we could face. Garvey writes, “ Let no man pull you down, let no man destroy your ambition, because man is but your companion, your equal; man is your brother; he is not your lord; he is not your sovereign master”. (p.1003) Garvey’s vision to the Negroes was that man is not the one you live for, God is the one who will be their with you to the end and he will never leave you.

To what extent was Marcus Garvey the most significant African American civil rights leader in the period 1865-1945?

African religious tradition has heavily influenced the culture of Rastafarianism around the Caribbean. Biblical themes have greatly influenced the religion's belief and its system. The founder of Rastafarian religion to many is known as Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 and died in the year 1940. Marcus Garvey was a black Jamaican who taught in the 1920s and is considered a second John the Baptist up to this day. The philosopher of Rastafari and the origin its philosophy comes from a man named Leonard P. Howell. There are many who speak of Rastafari and never understood its philosophy without ever bothering to recognize the philosopher, Leonard P Howell. Many adherents to the Rastafari movement are so lost in the Bible that they are not aware of this philosopher and the origins of the philosophy. Howell was one of the first preachers of the Rastafari movement and is sometimes known as The First