Some Thoughts On Mr Marcus Garvey

A few days ago I finished reading a collection of writings and speeches by Marcus Garvey. The book I read is this one. If nothing else, Garvey was certainly quite a character. The book has writings and speeches made before, during and after his convictions for mail fraud, and throughout each phase he relentlessly attacks W.E.B. Du Bois and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, often writing out the organisation's name with quotation marks around the word 'colored' as if to mimic it.

Ultimately, however, he comes across as someone who is both scared of, and not interested in, social equality. Indeed, he leaves the advocating of social equality firmly with the NAACP. His 'back to Africa' stance relies upon the unquestioned glorification of Africa by his followers. It's difficult to know just how many people really did back Garvey, as he is known to have exaggerated his following. Many of his attacks on Du Bois are personal, tit-for-tat contributions. There's little substance attacked (seemingly) be either man. Du Bois attacked Garvey because he was from the West Indies and a printer's apprentice; Garvey attacked Du Bois because he was light skinned, had a little Dutch (i.e. European) blood in him and apparently considered himself socially above the average black man.

Regardless of whether you back the UNIA and Garvey or Du Bois and the NAACP, Marcus Garvey's rhetorical brilliance really shines through in this volume. He employs long, eloquent lists of three in his public speaking and uses repartition to excellent affect. The occasional humourous reference is even communicated well. One can easily see why many African Americans chose to support him. Whilst his glorification of Africa and its history is fanciful, he certainly raises some interesting point on ancient Abyssinia.

Of course, the scariest aspect of the book is his alliance with the Ku Klux Klan. Exactly how he can consider himself as being cut from the same cloth as the KKK is quite beyond me. He may have considered it a smart observation to note that the UNIA and the KKK were working towards the same goal (i.e. emptying the United States of America of all Black people), but that doesn't necessarily mean he had to meet with the Acting Imperial Wizard in Atlanta, GA, does it?