Letter of the Day | Marley took the Pan-Africanist baton from Garvey

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Pan Africanism is defined as a political and cultural movement that seeks to unify African people, both on the continent and in the diaspora. It emphasises solidarity, self-determination, and the end of colonialism.

There is no doubt that Marley’s rendition of Redemption Song – where he adopts the Honourable Marcus Garvey’s words, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds” – is proof that he was a student of Garveyism. In fact, Marley explained that he rejected colonial education which deliberately ignored our 300 years’ experience as an enslaved people. He is quoted as having said, “If I did go a school, I would be a fool”. Garvey’s teaching, that we should ‘emancipate ourselves from mental slavery’ and ‘none but ourselves can free our minds’, was well taken on board by Robert Nesta Marley.

Garvey encouraged us to educate ourselves about the truth of our history, failing which we are bound to remain prisoners of another race’s teachings. The baton handed to Marley was well-travelled to the finish line, and Garvey must have been smiling from his grave with pride when he heard his student, Bob, lamenting our suffering with, “Every time I hear the crack of a whip, my blood runs cold. I remember on the slave ship, how they brutalize our very souls."

Garvey, speaking to Marley from his philosophies and opinions, penned that “Slavery is a black curse and the chains of bondage are still around our minds”. As the most respected and first Pan Africanist, Hon Garvey made his way to North America, the Caribbean, and several parts of Africa. One of the best examples of Garvey’s influence on Africa is the fact that Kwame Nkrumah – the president of Ghana, who himself converted to Garveyism – made sure to place Garvey’s black star symbol up front and centre in the Ghanaian green, yellow, and red national flag. He made sure to immortalise Garvey as a permanent figure in the history of Ghana, our homeland.

The combined contribution of Garvey and Marley who, together forged unity between Africans and Afro-Jamaicans, cannot be discounted. During the 50s and

60s there was a rift between mainland Africans and the Afro-American and the Afro- Caribbean people. It is a notorious fact that it was the experience of some of us, that misinformed Africans would refer to us as “children of slaves”. Marley, with his deep embrace of Africa, to remove that divide between us and with his use of Garvey’s words, has now made a reunited family.  We should pay tribute to these two Pan Africanists who share a common birthplace in the parish of St. Ann. Long live the teachings of Garvey, long live the testimonies of Marley! 

Selah.

BERT SAMUELS