1

qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwerty

uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasd

fghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx

cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq

wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui

opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg

hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc

vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq

wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui

opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg

hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc

vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq

wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui

opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg

MARCUS GARVEY PHILOSOPHY, BLACK STAR LINE AND UNIA*

ROLE IN AFRICA

11/25/2013

MUTII ELVIS KIVOTO

MARCUS GARVEY PHILOSOPHY, BLACK STAR LINE AND UNIA* ROLE IN

AFRICA

Marcus Garvey has played a key role on how Africans should view Africa and the role of

Africa to Africans. His philosophies has shaped the thought of many Pan Africanists who

view his radical philosophies as the best alternative to Africa redemption and one which

offers solutions to Africa’s problems. I support Garvey’s work and his practical

implementation of his philosophies and I will explain why I support him and go further and

explain critical aspects he faced from different Pan Africanists. According to Green (1983)

Marcus Garvey was born in August 1887 in Jamaica. In his neighbourhood, racial tensions

between the Europeans and Africans who lived close together were minimal but when he

became a teenager he faced racial discrimination. At that time his close European friends in

Jamaica went to Europe and when he inquired about it he was told that there was a big

difference between blacks and whites. His travels to Central America and Britain made him

understand well the racial discrimination between blacks and whites and how Africans were

mistreated as slaves throughout the world. It was from these experiences that influenced his

philosophies and made him advocate for the rights of the Africans and how Africans would

sustain themselves economically, politically and culturally from any form of intimidation

from Europeans.

*UNIA (UNIVERSAL NEGRO IMPROVEMENTASSOCIATION)

Garvey’s philosophy

The reason as to why I support Garvey’s philosophy was that he had a desire to help Africans

and help Africans know their own identity. Green (1983) argues that after his travels from

Jamaica to Britain in 1914 made him realise the mistreatment that Africans faced were

inhumane. His desire for Africa to have its own flag and government just like powerful

countries in Europe had motivated him to call for an African renaissance that will enable

Africans realise how powerful they are if they are united and embrace their African culture

and history. He called for African unity. His call for Africans to be proud of their African

culture and heritage made the Africans gain confidence in themselves and this became part of

the Garvey’s philosophy.

Second, according to Christian (2004) he argues that when Marcus Garvey formed the

Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914 he wanted to create a platform

where black people would be able to cooperate and help themselves politically and

economically. UNIA was the practical implementation of Garvey’s philosophies. It is

important to note that at this time Africans whether in Africa or the Diaspora were working in

inhumane conditions, were colonised and tortured and lacked proper institutions that would

advocate for their rights. UNIA was important to Pan Africanism and Black Nationalism as it

gave Africans hope that they would get out of poverty and get their rights back and as

(Bezerra) argues that in Brazil - the last country in the Americas in 1888 to abolish slavery –

after many afro Brazilians received little or no attention from the Brazilian government thus

this seclusion from the public life made afro Brazilians agitate for freedom. UNIA being an

‘African institution’ would restore Africa to their glorious past where they had political and

economic autonomy and were free to celebrate their culture. Yet in Brazil many Africans

were forbidden to practice Candomble a Yoruba religion and Capoeira an Angolan war dance.

Hence this made Garvey want Africans to shape their own history and culture from any form

of repression from imperialists. Politically, UNIA played a key role in calling for Africa’s

independence. M'baye (2006) argues that UNIA brought forward an appeal to the League of

Nations that colonial countries in Africa be given to UNIA. This brought black pride and a

sense of belonging among Africans in their quest for liberation. His quest for Africa liberty

was what he was advocating for and became a core aspect of his philosophies.

Dagnini (2008) argues that the Black Star Line Shipping Company that Garvey initiated was a

big step for the Africans in the Diasporas to come back to Africa. This was also a practical

aspect of his philosophies as he was championing for Africa for Africans. He implemented

what he had already started that Africans should go back to Africa and develops their own

continent. The Black Star Line shipped many Africans to Liberia and they were able to trace

their own roots and it became a big achievement for Africans. Black Nationalism grew after

the Black Star Line as many Africans in Jamaica, Panama and Liberia were proud of Garvey’s

work.

Marcus Garvey important work was to set up a newspaper that called for Black Nationalism.

The newspaper was important because it outlined Garvey’s philosophy. The Negro World as

it was called was able to advocate for the rights of Africans and this became a strong pillar

where Garvey expressed his philosophies to the masses and the masses implemented Garvey’s

thought. Furthermore through the UNIA the Pan Africanists came up with the International

Convention of the Negroes of the World in 1920 which stated the rights of Africans. Hahn

(2006) argues that through the Negro World, Africans were able to read and know their rights

fully and demand justice. The importance of the newspaper was that it united Africans for a

common cause that was liberation and they were going to use it in international fora to

advocate for political and economic rights.

According to the (Biographical reading: Marcus Garvey) His radical approach to Black

Nationalism and Pan Africanism gave him a large support base. His call for Africans should

go back to Africa made many Africans in the Diaspora to support him since in the Americas

many Africans were subjected to racial discrimination. That is why many Africans in the

Diaspora opted not to stay in America but board the Black Star Line and go back to Africa.

Black Nationalism was high in the mind of Africans.

After his death in 1940, the philosophies of Garvey had shaped African thinking and more so

its international relations. M'baye (2006) argues that Black Nationalism in Kenya by the

MAU MAU was influenced by Marcus Garvey when they resorted to armed struggle in 1952.

Garvey advocated for violence and self rule for Africans and he once stated that if Africans in

America are being killed by whites then when we go back to Africa we should kill the whites

for enslaving us. This, although racist and violent in nature was a key aspect to Garvey

Philosophy since no freedom could be won easily.

If Marcus was alive today, he would be sad that Africa is not one independent country, but

would be happy with the formation of the African Union since they have their own

government, flag and influence the world politics. From his teachings and philosophies he

inspired future African leaders to form a government or institutions that would advocate for

African rights. Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president advocated that Africa should be one and

serve the interests of Africans first. Even though the Organization of Unity (OAU) was

formed in 1963 that allowed African countries after gaining independence to form their own

country as was designed from the Berlin Conference in 1884. Garvey’s dream that Africa in

Africa and the diaspora working together to improve Africa politically and economically has

been realised through the African Union Charter. Delices (2013) has stated that Haiti has

officially become a member of the African Union hence promoting African nationalism

between Africans in the diaspora and in the continent.

Dagnini (2008) argues that Garvey inspired future African leaders from his philosophy.

Garvey did most of the philosophies while Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president

implemented although not all of Garvey’s philosophy. His call for African unity in the first

summit of OAU was all what Garvey had wanted. Patrice Lumumba of Congo and Sekou

Toure of Guinea were all disciples of Garvey. Their main goal was Black Nationalism African

redemption.

In as much as I support Garvey’s philosophy, different Pan Africanists, government

institutions and independent minded people were critical and did not support Garvey’s

philosophy. The United States of America government was one such institution that did not

tolerate the views of Marcus Garvey. The USA saw Garvey’s radical philosophy as harmful

and a threat to its national security. By Garvey claiming that black people in the USA should

go back to Africa and develop their motherland would destroy the economy of the USA

negatively. Africans played a key role in the economy of the USA as they had been the

resource engine since slavery. More than that Garvey called for riots and protest against

racism and human rights atrocities committed by the USA government. Any form of protest

would have destroyed USA both politically and economically. Christian (2004) argues that

politically it would lead to racial indifference and civil wars as what witnessed in 1865 when

they fought against slavery and economically because most businesses and government

installations would have been destroyed. I do not support the view of the USA government

because the root cause of racism and violence in the USA was not Garvey but the lack of

democracy.

Hahn (2006) argues that liberal critics in the USA were against any form of segregation

between blacks and whites and that is why Garvey was criticized by liberal black elites like

W.E.B. Du Bois who saw his divisive philosophy as a threat to unity between blacks and

whites in the USA. This to Garvey was unimaginable, since when did the colonised people

who had endured torture, slavery and human rights atrocities work together harmoniously

with the colonisers. However, to the critics they argued that was a form of racism that would

not get worldwide support. More than that, they criticised Garvey for claiming to be the

emperor of Africa without consulting Africans. They argued that this was a form of

imperialism just as Europeans had carved up Africa for their own selfish benefits. In

summary, they argued that Garvey used Black Nationalism to enrich himself politically and

economically. I disagree with the liberal philosophers and critics because they did not provide

an alternative route to Africans problems in the USA and that in as much as Garveys thought

were divisive in nature it helped Africans run away from the racial problems they were facing

in USA to Africa where there were no racial segregation among black people in West Africa.

Third, there were black spies’ sent by the USA government to monitor all the works by

Garvey in the UNIA and Black Star Line. Christian (2004) argues that this was a big blow to

Garvey’s practical philosophy as many Africans thought that had used Garvey their money in

UNIA and Black Star Line for personal gains. More than that, many people have criticised

Garvey for not coming to Africa when he himself was calling on Africans to return back

home. He used this as a scapegoat to gain fame rather than solving the problems that Africans

faced. In as much as I agree with the critics who claimed that Garvey did not come to Africa

and that he should not force Africans to go back to Africa I disagree with them on the point

that Garvey was not practical in what he was philosophising. Garvey had implemented most

of his thoughts such as starting of black businesses second because it was the desire of some

black diaspora who were deep Garveyites who wanted to come back to Africa voluntarily and

last because the money which were spent illegally was not because of Garvey but the greed of

some African Americans.

Garvey called for the independence of Africa and this became a pillar in his philosophy but

this did not go well with the Europeans. Dagnini (2008) argues that his radical approach that

Africa should be independent politically and economically from Europe meant that Europe

would not benefit from Africa. That is why they ignored Garvey’s request that colonised

countries should be given to UNIA. This in itself was a big blow to African nationalism. I

disagree with the Europeans because by ignoring Garvey’s philosophy and Africa being

independent was going against the wishes of Africans and the Europeans were driven by

selfish desires.

The most controversial of Garveys work was when he met with the Ku Klux Klan officials.

Dagnini (2008) argues that the Ku Klux Klan was a racist group in America that was

responsible for black people. By Garvey meeting the group’s officials; it raised negative

signals to the Pan Africanists, who accused him of selling his own race and joining hands with

the enemy. I disagree with the Pan Africanist who claimed that Garvey was betraying his race

because he was implementing his philosophy that Africans should go back to Africa and

Europeans should stop enslaving Africans. Garvey wanted America to be the land of the

whites and Africa the land of the blacks.

In conclusion Marcus Garvey’s philosophy has brought unity and division among some

Africans and Europeans with some claiming he was racist. His desire for Africans to have

their own government and influence world politics positively did not go as plan but after his

death future African leaders endorsed Garveys philosophy keeping his dream alive. His

desires for Africans to be proud of their race made some see him as racist and segregationist

but all what Garvey wanted was to liberate Africans from the yoke of colonialism and

imperialism.

REFERENCE:

Bezerra, M. E. (2009, January 28). Religion in Brazil's Free Market of Faith. Retrieved

November 4, 2013, from

http://www.campbellsville.edu/Websites/cu/images/Library/Campbellsville_Review/Vol_4/R

eligion_in_Brazil's_Free_Market_of_Faith--Bezerra.pdf

Biographical reading:MARCUS GARVEY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2013, from

http://www.mrtripodi.org/students/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/marcusgarvey.pdf

Christian, M. (2004). Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association

(UNIA): With Special Reference to the "Lost" Parade in Columbus, Ohio, September 25,1923.

Retrieved November 4, 2013, from http://www.xavier.edu/diversity/documents/black-

studies/Christian_Marcus_Garvey.pdf

Dagnini, J. K. (2008, March). Marcus Garvey: A Controversial Figure in the History of Pan-

Africanism. Retrieved November 4, 2013, from

http://www.jpanafrican.com/docs/vol2no3/MarcusGarveyAControversialFigureInTheHistory

OfPanAfricanism.pdf

Delices, P. (2013, February 21). HAITI JOINS THE AFRICAN UNION: A SPECIAL

RELATIONSHIP ENDURES. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from

http://www.haitiantimes.com/haiti-joins-the-african-union-a-special-relationship-endures/

Green, R. (1983). The Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association

Papers. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Hahn, S. (2006). MARCUS GARVEY, THE U.N.I.A, AND THE HIDDEN POLITICAL

HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS. Retrieved November 4, 2013

M'Baye, B. (2006, September 5). Marcus Garvey and African Francophone Political Leaders

of the Early Twentieth Century: Prince Kojo Tovalou Houénou Reconsidered . Retrieved

November 4, 2013, from

http://www.jpanafrican.com/docs/vol1no5/MarcusGarveyandAfricanFrancophonePoliticalLea

dersoftheEarly2.pdf