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Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey



Marcus Garvey (1887-1940)
Bright and bold, ambitious and controversial, Marcus Garvey's legacy borders on tall tale - he's praised as an important prophet in rastafarianism. But his deeds and accomplishments were very real. Born in Jamaica, he attended school and read from his father's massive library. He traveled around the world - Central America, London (where he attended Birkbeck College), and later America. He formed the Universal Negro Improvement Association which would later claim a million members in the 1920s in hundreds of factions. During his time in Harlem, a New York District Attorney attempted an assassination of Garvey. In 1920, Garvey spoke to a crowd of 25,000 in Madison Square Garden. His grand plan was for African descendants to become masters of their own destinies, captains of their own industries. This included the Black Star Line, which would cargo goods and passengers to Africa. Garvey saw Africa as a home and a beacon for those of African descent, a place to reclaim from colonialists. Part poet, part prophet, the radical Marcus Garvey.
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