Today marks the 132nd anniversary of the birth of Jamaica’s first National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
On August 17, 1887, Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jnr was born in St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann.
Garvey was a journalist, publisher, orator, and black nationalist, a leader in the Pan-Africanism movement, and the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.
He was also the founder of the shipping and passenger line, the Black Star Line, that was instrumental in promoting the return of the African diaspora to its ancestral lands.
He died on June 10, 1940. His body lies at the National Heroes Park in Kingston.
The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) today commemorated Garvey’s birthday with a floral tribute at his monument at the National Heroes Park.
In a message to highlight the country’s first National Hero, Prime Minister Andrew Holness noted that Garvey taught people to be bold because they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to.
Holness said as Jamaicans celebrate the life, passion filled work, and legacy of Marcus Garvey, they should reflect on his stellar contribution to the holistic development of black people across the world, and the advancement of Africa and Jamaica.
Meantime, Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips, in noting that Garvey’s legacy lives on, urged Jamaicans to continue to draw from Garvey’s solid lessons to guide the road to progress.
He said Garvey’s lessons point to the continued mission of freedom for the oppressed in Jamaica, and across the globe.
He said Jamaica deserves a leadership of trust and integrity that will move the nation forward, working with all people, leaving none behind, in the movement towards real progress and growth.
Meantime, Irie FM’s courtyard will come alive tomorrow, Sunday August 18, with the 28th staging of the annual tribute to Mwalimu Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
Special guest speakers include representative of the Nation of Islam Minister David Muhammad, and international human rights advocate El Jones, plus performances by several talented reggae artistes.