Happy Birthday, Marcus Mosiah Garvey

August 17, 1887–The spirit formerly known as Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in Jamaica.  Early in his life, he emigrated to the United States and became one of the greatest black leaders in history.  Through his organization, the Universal Negro Improvement Association, Garvey instilled a philosophy which sought to unite all Africans across the globe.  His ideals bore his name, Garveyism, but it is also referred to as Pan-Africanism.

In the documentary, A Great and Mighty Walk, Dr. John Henrik Clarke posited that Marcus Garvey should be re-examined and more thoroughly analyzed.  I couldn’t agree more.   Garvey could be considered a prophet of sorts because much of his philosophical thoughts were seriously ahead of its time.  Some 122 years after his birth, the African Diaspora is still not unified with Africa struggling to regain control and rebuild after centuries of colonialism.  Here in the U.S., truthfully speaking, African Americans are still largely engaged in a ‘catch up’ phenomenon that is being threatened by this current economic turbulence.  To that end, much of what Garvey wanted for Black people has not been fully realized.  Therefore, revisiting his ideals and concepts could perhaps light the way to a new understanding of how we are to proceed as a people in the Obama era.

For the record, Garvey supported the notion of Black women being involved in the movement, having a branch of the UNIA that was specifically designed for women.  I highly recommend locating a copy of the documentary, Look for Me in the Whirlwind, which is an in-depth look at the life and work of Marcus Garvey.  He died in 1940 at the age of 53.

Meanwhile, you may also visit his official website for a host of content related to the legacy of Garvey and Pan-Africanism. The poem featured here is taken from that website.

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The Black Woman by Marcus Garvey

Black queen of beauty, thou hast given color to the world!
Among other women thou art royal and the fairest!
Like the brightest of jewels in the regal diadem,
Shin’st thou, Goddess of Africa, Nature’s purest emblem!
Black men worship at thy virginal shrine of truest love,
Because in thine eyes are virtue’s steady and holy mark,
As we see in no other, clothed in silk or fine linen,
From ancient Venus, the Goddess, to mythical Helen.

When Africa stood at the head of the elder nations,
The Gods used to travel from foreign lands to look at thee:
On couch of costly Eastern materials, all perfumed,
Reclined thee, as in thy path flow’rs were strewn-
sweetest that bloomed.

Thy transcendent marvelous beauty made the whole world mad,
Bringing Solomon to tears as he viewed thy comeliness;
Anthony and the elder Ceasars wept at thy royal feet,
Preferring death than to leave thy presence, their foes to meet.
You, in all ages, have attracted the adoring world,
And caused many a bloody banner to be unfurled:
You have sat upon exalted and lofty eminence,
To see a world fight in your ancient African defense.

Today you have been dethroned, through the weakness of your men,
While, in frenzy, those who of yore craved your smiles and your hand-
Those who were all monsters and could not with love approach you-
Have insulted your pride and now attack your good virtue.

Because of disunion you became mother of the world,
Giving tinge of robust color to five continents,
Making a greater world of millions of colored races,
Whose claim to beauty is reflected through our black faces.

From the handsome Indian to European brunette,
There is a claim for that credit of their sunny beauty
That no one can e’er to take from thee, 0 Queen of all
women who have borne trials and troubles and racial burden.

Once more we shall, in Africa, fight and conquer for you,
Restoring the pearly crown that proud Queen Sheba did wear:
Yea, it may mean blood, it may mean death; but still we shall fight,
Bearing our banners to Vict’ry, men of Afric’s might.

Superior Angels look like you in Heaven above,
For thou art fairest, queen of the seasons, queen of our love:
No condition sball make us ever in life desert thee,
Sweet Goddess of the ever green land and placid blue sea.

February 28, 1927

Cloud of Witnesses: Maggie Lena Walker

In the first installment of the Cloud of Witnesses series, I wanted to, in many instances, introduce some of us to Black women that may have been cast aside on the historical trail.  If they garner any mention, it’s not sufficient as most of these women accomplished feats in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  They deserve a better space to occupy during this new century and with the advent of the World Wide Web and blogging, in particular, I can formally bring you the wondrous achievements of Mrs. Maggie Lena Walker.

Born as the daughter of a washerwoman in 1867, Walker grew up in Richmond, Virginia and graduated from the Colored Normal School in 1883.  As a teacher in the city’s public schools, Walker also took courses in accounting and sales which would later prove to be vital assets in her historical contributions.  She married Armstead Walker and was required to stop teaching but used her skills in the many organizations that catered to the needs of women.

One of Walker’s most instrumental roles was as the Grand Worthy Secretary of the Independent Order of St. Luke,  founded by former slave woman, Mary Prout.  The organization was founded as a women’s sickness and death mutual benefit association; meaning it provided insurance benefits  mainly for former slave women.  In this role, Walker instituted and worked diligently on the order’s ventures: a juvenile department,  an educational fund, a department store, and a weekly newspaper.  Initially in decline prior to Walker, the order grew to 100,000 members in 2,010 councils and circles in twenty eight states.

The order was involved in every capacity necessary to ensure equality for Black Americans, and in particular, Black women.  The order’s endeavors ranged from social, economic, and political levels; complete with a women’s suffrage movement that led to an unprecedented achievement, even today.  During the 1920 elections in Richmond, black women accounted for 80% of eligible black voters.  In turn, blacks organized an independent political party called the Virginia Lily-Black Republican Party; and Walker ran for state superintendent of public instruction under the ticket in 1921.

Maggie Lena Walker is most known for being the first woman bank president. She founded the Penny Savings Bank in 1903 which was dedicated to ensuring that the ’small depositor’ was able to save money.  Many of the bank’s customers were washerwomen, like her mother, and other domestics and laborers–both male and female.  Before her death in 1934, Walker helped with the reorganization of the bank as the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company; and it is the oldest, existing Black owned and operated financial institution in the country.

Walker’s philosophy rested squarely on the need to provide black women with the same opportunities to excel economically as white women, and even men.  Of course, her active public life drew criticism from those within the black community as well as among whites.  However, Walker stood firm on her ideals of enabling Black women to be self-sufficient, whether married or single.  Black women were suffering under conditions that rendered them helpless in caring for their children.  Therefore, they deserved the ability to acquire their own means financially in an effort to better support their families as their husbands were unable, in many cases, to do so alone.

Walker believed that women should have a balance between work and family life and both were necessities in upholding a proper society.  Noted scholar, Elsa Barkley Brown, wrote,

“In her efforts Walker, like the other Saint Luke women, was guided by a clearly understood and shared perspective concerning the relationship of black women to black men, to the black community, and to the larger society.  This was a perspective that acknowledged individual powerlessness in the face of racism and sexism and that argued that black women, because of their condition and status, had a right–indeed, according to Walker, a special duty and incentive–to organize” (p. 620).

Indeed, Walker’s ideals were forward thinking in the nineteenth century and perhaps just as progressive in the 21st century.  Are Black women making a point to organize as once before?  Do we still feel as though we have a need to do so?  Walker believed that black women should be able to support themselves financially without the ‘companion of a man’ and it appears that this same sentiment is revalent some 100 or so years later.  How much have Black women advanced in their struggle?  Does it matter that Black women continue to lag behind their white women counterparts in wage earnings as well as suffer disproportionately from poverty?

It appears that Walker’s work must be extended into the 21st century as Black women, not only in this country,but the world over are continuing to be affected severely by the complexities of race and sex.  I know that when I study foremothers like Walker, I notice a sense of inadequacy as I realize that I am not doing enough.  Their courageous stories charge me to be a better woman in the world—a better sister to my fellow sisters and brothers, a better lover to black men, and better nurturer to black children.

I hope I am not the only one.

Up Next: Anna Julia Cooper

Reference:

Brown, Elsa Barkley (1989) Womanist Consciousness: Maggie Lena Walker and the Independent Order of Saint Luke  Signs (14) 3 pp. 610-633