Marcus Garvey

Homework

Garvey (a) theif (b) hero (c)visionary (d) madman. Garvey has been accused of all of the above. Using factual information, show why some people would have these ideas about Marcus Garvey. Make a conclusion on which one you think Garvey is.

Marcus Garvey was a National Hero of Jamaica, a Black Nationalist, orator and founder of many black organizations. He can be said to have attempted to reverse the slave trade, attempting to put things how they were in the beginning. He believed that all Blacks should go back to Africa and all Europeans should come out of it. The movement is officially called the Back-To-Africa Movement. Garvey also believed that uniting Blacks was the only method that could be used to better their condition internationally. He dedicated his life to bettering the black race.

The idea of Garvey being a thief came from the suspicions of his involvement in a suspected mail fraud.
He was convicted because many believed that he had sent letters to many people and requested funds for the UNIA which he then later used for himself. It was not fully proved, and Garvey’s modest lifestyle certainly did not portray any extravagant spending or large sums of money, but Garvey nonetheless was sent to prison. He served five years in the Atlanta Federal Prison in 1925.

Garvey was also accused of being a madman, in particular, he was charged with the allegation of being a paranoiac. This accusation was mainly held by a member of the NAACP Robert W. Bagnall. He wrote a whole essay entitled “The Madness of Marcus Garvey” in 1923. Among his other detractors were archrival W.E.B. Du Bois who deemed him “inordinately vain and very suspicious”. Delusional is another term used to describe him as he seemed to see himself as a “king” and others below him. He did seem to treat himself very royally with his armed guards and ample protection about him, he had, as Bagnall put it “delusional grandeur”. He was also delusional in the sense that he saw as little a number of people as three people and thought of it as a crowd. He was also mad in the sense that some of his ideas were clearly impractical and had no chance of working. An example of this was his dream that all Blacks would relocate back to Africa. He didn’t take time to analyze people and their behaviour, all he saw was his plans, not the reactions of the people involved and this was one of his downfalls. To sum it all up, an excerpt from Bagnalls’ essay clearly illustrates the thoughts of those who were against him : “If he is not insane, he is a demagogic charlatan, but the probability is that the man is insane. Certainly the movement is insane, whether Garvey is or not.”

Garvey however was not always put down by critics such as the ones mentioned. In fact, his praise outweighs the critiques almost tenfold. Garvey is seen as a visionary. He had an optimistic view on the current situation of Blacks. He looked past their current oppression and saw a free race, a powerful race and a proud race emerging in the future. Several things that Garvey envisioned came through or at least a door was opened for them to do so. An example of this is Garvey’s vision for black economic success and then the Negro Factories Corporation’s creation. Many people chastise Garvey for his open-minded thinking but ultimately it was men like him who brought a message of hope to doubtful people.

Garvey is seen as a hero lastly. He was a powerful figure and shaped the doubting minds of Blacks all around the world. Garvey was courageous in that he was the 1st black man to stand up and publicly denounce racism against Blacks. He was for the Negroes one hundred percent. Garvey defended his beliefs of Anti-colonialism, Black nationalism, racial pride and self reliance to death. Garvey did not stick to the status quo but decided to help the Black man and suffer rather than see the black man suffer. He put himself at risk of the same discrimination, but because he was a hero, stepped up to the plate. Garvey was committed to the cause of bettering the condition of Negros around the world and instilling a flame of pride in them. He made channels for them to become independent such as shipping routes, newspapers, institutions right down to laundry mats.

While some of Garvey’s ideas appeared ridiculous to certain people, the intention and underlying principles of them were always to better the condition of the Black race. I consider Garvey to be a hero especially to Africa and the West Indies, for by proposing the idea of Blacks coming together and realizing that “There is no future for a race that denies their race and past”. Garvey put in every black man, woman, and child, a bit of hope. His speeches and theories replenished the dignity lost by the black man in the slave trade. Helping us to realize the potential of our massive and powerful race was one of his main works. His quotes, such as “One God! One Aim! One Destiny!”, captivate his desire to unite Blacks and increase their underestimated worth. He dedicated his life to this cause of his dream and provided a plethora of unforgettable quotes as well. Garvey is a hero also in the sense that he emancipated the minds of Negroes, henceforth giving them respect. However, it is satisfying to know that Garvey, despite all trials in his life received the recognition he deserved and is recognized today as a National Hero.