Garvey, Selected Writings and Speeches

Garvey Description

Advocated for economic self-reliance through African independence.

Garvey Quotes

Psalm 68:31: “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.”

Significance: This serves as one of Garvey’s central ideological of the UNIA that the liberation of Black Americans is inevitable.

Garvey Quotes

We…demand Africa for the Africans at home and abroad (19)

Significance: The significance of this quote is to regain sovereignty against European imperialism and also bring the Black population from America to their true home in Africa.

Garvey Quotes

I asked, ‘Where is the black man’s Government?’ ‘Where is 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 declared, ‘I will help to make them’

Significance: The significance of this quote is the personal epiphany Garvey experienced and the reason why he is doing what he is doing by creating a nation for his own people.

Garvey Quotes

The world has reached the crossroads of humanity, where each race will travel in its own direction, when each group will travel in its own avenue

Significance: The significance of this quote is that Garvey believes that true racial integration was not possible in a white-dominated society and each race should have it’s own society to create laws and industries.

Garvey Quotes

At no time in the history of the world, for the last five hundred years was there ever a serious attempt made to free Negroes. We have been camouflaged into believing we were made free by Abraham Lincoln. That we were made free by Victoria of England, but up to now we are still slaves, we are industrial slaves, we are social slaves, we are political slaves, and the new Negro desires a freedom that has no boundary, no limit. We desire a freedom that will lift us to the common standard of all men…; therefore, in our desire to lift ourselves to that standard we shall stop at nothing until there is a free and redeemed Africa

Significance: The significance of this quote is that Black people have never been given the opportunity to be truly free and Garvey would like the chance to create a “new Negro“ in Africa where people are free and can self-govern without interference from other races

Garvey Quotes

It is hoped that when the time comes for American and West Indian Negroes to settle in Africa, they will realize their responsibility and their duty. It will not be to go to Africa for the purpose of establishing an overlordship over the natives, but it shall be the purpose of the Universal Negro Improvement Association to have established in Africa the brotherly co-operation which will make the interest of the African native and the American and West Indies Negro one and the same, that is to say, we shall enter into a common partnership to build up Africa in the interest of our race

Significance: The significance of this quote is that Garvey plans to create a reciprocal partnership between native African people and those coming from America.

Garvey Quotes

The civilization of today is gone drunk and crazy with its power and by such it seeks through injustice, fraud and lies to crush the unfortunate

Significance: The significance of this quote is that there are unchecked governments that causes the marginalized community to continue being trampled by imperial powers.