Long before Bob Marley wrote of redemption, there was Marcus Garvey.
For some, Marcus Garvey is a controversial figure, but in Jamaica he is one of the country’s most important national heroes; monuments in his honour can be found all over the island. He played a major role in the country’s early independence efforts and is considered to be a founding voice of the Black Nationalist / Pan Africanist movements and a Rastafarian prophet.
In honour of his birthday (today, August 17), there is a renewed push for a posthumous presidential pardon for Garvey’s conviction of mail fraud. In today’s racial climate, Garvey’s legacy resonates strongly with many. It is incredible to imagine what might have been if he had been able to continue his civil rights efforts in the United States…
Did you know that Garvey has a nice Canadian connection too? In 1938, he traveled to Sydney, Nova Scotia and delivered a speech eventually made even more famous by Bob Marley, “We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind.” It is no wonder he was a source of inspiration for many black rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Nelson Mandela.
August 18, 2016 at 1:06 pm
Do you know what the connection to Jamaica is with John A. MacDonald?
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August 19, 2016 at 3:13 am
No, I haven’t heard about that yet. What is it?
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August 19, 2016 at 12:42 pm
When I was browsing around reading about Jamaica and things to do, I came across a harbor tour that mentioned something about John A. but then couldn’t find it again. So, I did a search on him and Jamaica and it turns out his second wife was the daughter of British plantation owners in Jamaica. That’s all I could find. I thought maybe there was more.
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August 19, 2016 at 7:48 pm
So interesting! I wonder if my dad knows anything about this…
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August 19, 2016 at 8:32 pm
We will have to pick his brain!
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August 20, 2016 at 7:18 pm
I’ve warned him to bone up on Jamaican history!
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