by
The Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey
The time has come for the Blackman to forget and cast behind
him his hero worship and adoration of other races, and to start
out immediately to create and emulate heroes of his own. We must
canonize our own martyrs and elevate to positions of fame and honor
Black men and women who have made their distinct contributions to
our racial history.
Sojourner Truth is worthy of sainthood alongside of Joan of Arc.
Crispus Attuck and George William Gordon are entitled to the halo
of martyrdom with no less glory than that of the martyrs of any
other race. Jacques Deselines' and Moshesh's brilliancy as
soldiers and statesmen outshone that of a Cromwell, Napoleon, or
Washington: hence they are entitled to the highest place as heroes
among men.
Africa has produced countless numbers of men and women, in war and
in peace, whose lustre and bravery outshines that of any other
people. Then why not see good and perfection in ourselves? We
must inspire a literature and promulgate a doctrine of our own
without any apologies to the powers that be. The right is the
Blackman's and Africa's. Let contrary sentiments and cross
opinions go to the winds. Oppositions to Race Independence is the
weapon of the enemy to defeat the hopes of an unfortunate people.
We are entitled to our own opinions and not obligated to or bound
by the opinions of others. If others laugh at you return the
laughter to them; if they mimic you return the compliment with
equal force. They have no more right to dishonor, disrespect or
disregard your feelings and manhood than you have in dealing with
them. Honor them when they honor you; disregard them when they
vilely treat you. Their arrogance is but skin deep and an
assumption that has no foundation in morals or in Law.
They have sprung from the same family tree of obscurity as
we have; their history is as rude in its primitiveness as ours,
their ancestors ran wild and naked, lived in caves and in branches
of trees like monkeys as ours; they made sacrifices, ate the flesh
of their own dead and the raw meat of wild beasts for centuries
even as they accuse us of doing. Their cannibalism was more
prolonged than ours; when we were embracing the Arts and Sciences
on the banks of the Nile, their ancestors were still drinking
human blood and eating out of the skulls of their conquered dead.
When our civilization had reached the noon-day of progress, they
were still running naked and sleeping in holes and caves with
rats, bats, and other insects and animals. After we had already
unfathomed the mystery of the Stars and reduced the Heavenly
Constellations to minute and regular calculus they were still
backwoodsmen, living in ignorance and blatant darkness.
The world today is indebted to us for the benefits of civilization.
They stole our Arts and Sciences from Africa. Then why should we
be ashamed of ourselves? Their modern improvements are but
duplicates of a grander civilization that we reflected thousands of
years ago; without the advantage of what is buried and still
hidden, to be resurrected and reintroduced by the intelligence of
our generation and our posterity.
Why should we be discouraged because somebody laughs at us today?
Who can tell what tomorrow will bring forth? Did they not laugh at
Moses, Christ, and Mohammed? Was there not a CARTHAGE, GREECE
and ROME? We see and have changes everyday; so plan, work, be
steadfast and do not be dismayed. As the Jew is held together by
his religion, the white races by the assumption and the unwritten
law of superiority, and the Mongolian by the precious tie of blood;
so likewise the Blackman must be UNITED in one grand RACIAL
HIERARCHY. Our union must know no climate, boundary or
nationality.
BLACK MEN THE WORLD OVER MUST PRACTICE ONE FAITH,
THAT OF CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES, WITH: ONE CAUSE,
ONE GOAL, ONE DESTINY.*
Let no religious scruples, no political machination divide us,
but let us hold together under all climates and in every country;
making among ourselves a RACIAL EMPIRE upon which, "The Sun shall
never set."
Let no voice but your own speak to you from the depths; let no
influence but your own rouse you in time of peace and time of war.
Hear all but attend only to that which concerns you, your
allegiance shall be to your Race, then to your family and your
Country. Remember always that the Jew in his political and
economic urge is always first a Jew, the white is first a white man
under all circumstances; and you can do no less than being first
and always a Blackman; then all else will take care of itself.
Let no one inoculate you with evil doctrines to suit their
conveniences. There's no humanity before that which starts with
yourself, "CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME." First to thyself be true and
thou canst not then be false to any man.
NATURE first made us what we are and then out of our own
creative genius we make ourselves what we want to be. Follow
always that GREAT LAW. Let the SKY be your limit, and Eternity our
Measurement. There's no height to which we cannot climb by using
the active intelligence of our own mind. Mind creates, and as much
as we desire in NATURE, we can have through the creation of our own
minds. Being at present the scientifically weaker Race, you shall
treat others only as they treat you, but in your homes and
everywhere possible you must teach the higher development of
science to your children; and be sure to develop a RACE of
SCIENTISTS par excellence, for in Science and NATIONALISM lie our
only hope to withstand the evil designs of modern materialism.
Never forget your Cause. REMEMBER! We live, work and plan for
the establishment of a great and binding RACIAL HIERARCHY;
the founding of a RACIAL EMPIRE whose only natural, spiritual
and political limits shall be: LIBERTY FOR AFRICANS, AT HOME
AND ABROAD.
August 17, 1887 to JUNE 10, 1940
President-General, Pro Temp,
United States of Africa
Always give credit where credit is due. Remember to credit your source. It's the honourable thing.
ReplyDeleteKEASI AKYEAMPONG
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