Marcus Aurelius "Musa" Garvey (HWON)

Marcus Aurelius "Musa" Garvey (HWON)

(Marcus "Moses" Garvey)

 

              Born in Jamaica on August 17, 1887; Marcus Garvey was destined to become one of the premier leaders of this century. The environment that Marcus, was raised in, was stern, and stable. This environment was dominated by British Colonialism. His Father was a Master Mason who was very skillful with brick and stone. Garvey was a proud and ambitious young man. After attending Elementary school locally, he moved to Kingston at the age of 14. While in Kingston, he worked as a journalist and printer. 

While in his early 20's Garvey was active in organizing strikes and labor forces in Kingston. He published two political journals to aid him in this effort. They were Garvey's Watchman in 1910 and Our Own in 1911. In 1912 he left Jamaica and went to North America to work and organize the West Indian immigrants. While in the West Indies he founded two Spanish-language periodicals.

The ambitious young Garvey; traveled throughout Europe, and then finally to Egypt (Kemit). While in London, he met Duse Muhammad Ali Duse Muhammad was an Egyptian author. Duse Muhammad Ali was the author, and publisher of a magazine called the "African Times and Orient Review. Duse Muhammad Ali told Garvey about the great Pyramids of Egypt (Kemit), and the secrets of AI Islaam.

Duse Muhammad Ali then gave Garvey his Shahadah (Muslim testimony of Faith in Allah) and renamed him Musa (Moses). When one accepts Al Islaam as their way of life they must stop eating pork, drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking and engaging in anything contrary to the Laws of Allah, the Creator of the Galactic Heavens.

Marcus Garvey found himself fascinated by Duse Muhammad Ali's account of the glorious past of the Abyssinian (African). This had a profound affect on the young Garvey and he vowed to help the Abyssinian (African) gain his glory. Marcus was also moved by the book "Up from Slavery" by Booker T. Washington:

"I read Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington, and then my doom if I may so call it of being a free leader dawned upon me... I asked: where is the Black man's Government? Where are his King and his Kingdom? Where is his President, his Country, and his Ambassador, his Army, his Navy, his Men of Big Affairs? I could not find them, and then I decided, I will help to make them.

Without losing anytime Marcus returned to Jamaica where he tried to muster support for his plan to unite the Negro (Bilalian) people of the World into one great Nation. He envisioned the coming of "a New World of Black Men, not peons, serfs, dogs, and slaves, but a Nation of sturdy Individual making their imprint upon Civilization and Causing a new light to dawn upon the human race.”

He established the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League on "August 1, 1914" in Jamaica on the 81st. Anniversary of the Emancipation of the West Indies. The U.N.I.A was designed to reclaim the fallen among the African American (Bilalian). Garvey had also designed it to establish universal confraternity among the race. Its motto was "One God! One Aim! One Destiny!”

On March 21, 1916 Garvey arrived in Harlem, NY to attempt what he had tried in Jamaica without much success. However this was not to be the Case in Harlem, because the Black man in Harlem was looking for what Garvey had to give. His Ideas took roost firstly because of his fearless personality, which was a welcome novelty to American Blacks (Bilalians) who were accustomed to hat in hand leaders. Garvey was a very powerful and dynamic speaker who was able to motivate the grass -- roots in Harlem with his message of Self Determination.

In 1917 he established a branch of the U.N.I.A in Harlem and in two months he had built up a new organization of about 1,500 members. Five years later the membership had increased to several million in the US, Latin America, West Indies and Africa (Abyssinia).

The Harlem branch of the U. N .I.A was the headquarters of the movement, and served in that capacity until his deportation in December 1927. The Harlem branch consisted of the African Orthodox Church, the Universal African Legion, the Universal Black Cross Nurses, the Universal African Motor Corps, the Juvenile, and the Black Flying Eagles, all equipped with officers and uniforms. He also established the Negro Political Union in 1924 to "consolidate the political union of the Negro through which the race would express its political opinion."

The flag of the movement was: "red for the blood of the race nobly shed in the past and dedicated to the future; black to symbolize pride in the color of its skin; and green for the promise of a new and better life in Africa.”

Marcus Garvey believed that if Negroes were economically strong in the US they would be able to redeem Africa; and establish a worldwide confraternity of Black (Bilalian) people. His financial program included the establishment of the Black Star Steamship company (which included four ill-fated ships), and the Negro Factory Corporation. He also started a grocery chain, a laundry chain, and a restaurant chain.

The main arm of propagation for Marcus Garvey and the U.N.I.A. was the "Negro World" a weekly newspaper that he edited. The Negro World was established on January 1918 and was published in English, Spanish, and French. It was distributed world-wide, and in the early 1920's became the first Black (Bilalian) newspaper to top two hundred thousand in circulation. Mr. Garvey edited and published at least eight publications, and directly inspired at least three others. He also established the first independent Black owned publishing company, the Universal Publishing House.

The economic, social and political achievements of Marcus Garvey where marred by incompetence, and mismanagement much as Drew Ali's movement was previously. It was his business activities that got him into difficulties with the United States government. He was falsely imprisoned on "February 8, 1925," on the charge of mail fraud.

Marcus Moses (Musa) Garvey left a legacy of self-determination undying hope and love for his people and he was truly a torch bearer for the oppressed African American (Bilalian) during the 1920's. He was a standard bearer for the establishment of Al Islaam in America. He died in London, in 1940 after being deported from America as stated earlier in December 1927. 

The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey

 

 "Oh when God calls upon us to give an account, what will you say? What will your answer be when asked to give an account of your brother Abel? We blacks are the children of Abel... His vengeance shall vent on you to the third and fourth generation.... We seek and search for the God of Africa, the Allah most high; noble, and Almighty.”

“A happy but miserable state in which man finds himself from time to time; sometimes he believes he is happy by loving, then suddenly he finds how miserable he is. It comes and goes, but when it is active, there is no greater virtue, because it makes one supremely happy. We cannot hold our love, but their is one love that never changes or is mistaken, and that is Allah's. The longer we hold our love, the nearer we approach like unto our Creator.”

"Be as proud of your race today as our fathers were in the days of yore. We have a beautiful history, and we shall create another in the future that will astonish the world."

"Education is the medium by which people are prepared for the creation of their own particular civilization, and the advancement and glory of their race.”

"The Ends you serve that are selfish will take you no further than yourself; But the ends you serve for all, in common, will take you into eternity.”

 

Notes on Duse M. Ali

There is no doubt that Duse Ali’s idea and personality had a profound impact on the philosophy and organizational policies of Marcus Garvey. Duse Muhammad Ali was constantly propagating and promulgating Al Islaam and the significance of the African Personality.

He was actively involved with the Muslim Community in Africa, particularly, Lagos, Nigeria. In England, he associated with Muhammad Ali and Khwaja Kamal AI Din of the Woking Masjid. He was constantly in the company of the English convert to Al Islaam, Muhammad Marmuduke Pickthal; whose work titled "the Glorious Quran"was of great acclaim. Equally important, Duse was a close companion of Abdullah Yusef Ali, who completed on the best English translations of and commentary on the Holy Qur'an. Additionally, during Duse's stay in the United States, he founded the Universal Islamic Society in Detroit 

It must be stated that despite the fact that Duse Ali was a fervent Pan Africanist, he was not in the strict sense of the word a racist. He was and intellectual 'race man' and not an avowed enemy of the Caucasian race. It was indeed Booker T. Washington, Edward Wilmont Blyden, and Duse Muhammad Ali who laid the foundation for contemporary nationalism, an organizational news organ, and the introduction of Al Islaam to African Americans.

Duse Ali's study and love of history prompted him to establish his influential journal "The African Times and Orient Review" which began publication in 1912, the same year that Blyden died. "THE AFRICAN TIMES AND ORIENT REVIEW” and "THE NEGRO WORLD" ushered into existence the "MOORISH GUIDE" which was published in 1926, and the Moorish American Science Temples were founded in 1913 by Noble Drew Ali (Timothy Drew). Drew Ali willingly acknowledged Garvey's influence on his organization; also the Moorish Guide followed the same format as the Negro World and the African Times and Orient Review. It published articles pertaining to Africa, African Muslims, and African Americans.

In the UNIA, there were Ahmadiyya Muslims who were vigorously trying to proselytize African Americans. Dr. Muhammad Mufti Saddiq, a missionary from India, managed to convert forty Garveyittes. Upon Saddiq's return to India, Muhammad Yusef Khan succeeded him and assumed the role of editor for the Ahmadiyya paper, THE MUSLIM SUNRISE. He reprinted articles pertaining to the Muslim world in Garvey's paper, and his essay, "Has Christianity failed and has Islam succeeded?" appeared in the NEGRO WORLD. The Ahmadiyya failed at converting African Americans in large numbers, but they did succeed in swaying people to sympathize with the tenets of Al Islaam.

Tony Martin makes the point: "Possibly because of such favorable exposure in the NEGRO WORLD, Islam continued to be a subject of interest among UNIA members in the United States after Garvey's deportation. In 1931 the Cleveland Ohio, division celebrated a "Muhammad Day” meeting, during the course of which they were addressed by Dr. Abad M. D. Sty, listed as being from North East Africa.”

Adib M. Rashad: “A Brief History of the African American and Muslim Press."

Muslim Journal: 10-09-1989; Page 6.