By LA Data News
On Saturday, August 17, 2019, New Orleans celebrated the life and legacy of The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, who was born in Jamaica on August 17, 1887. That was 132 years ago! Fate chose to make Garvey a great man and race patriot with the mission of rescuing and resurrecting the great Black Peoples of the world. He became the world’s leading Pan-Africanist in the tradition of Martin Delany, Alexander Crummell and Edward Wilmot Blyden.
Garvey founded the Universal Negro Association and African Communities League in 1914, dedicated to the uplift of Black people worldwide.
He bought steamships with the purpose of stimulating commerce among all peoples of African descent. He founded the Negro World Newspaper, Negro Factories Incorporated and many other institutions, which are too numerous to mention in this space.
Brother Baakir Tyehimba, Proprietor of the Black Star Café on the West Bank in an area dubbed “Little Africa”, sponsored this year’s Celebration which included food, music, poetry and speakers and even an obstacle course for the children.
Speakers represented several organizations including the Nation of Islam [NOI], the Universal Negro Improvement Association [UNIA], Commonwealth of the National Black Community [CNBC], the Black Panther Party [BPP- old and new] and the Republic of New Afrika [RNA].
The crowd was lively, and spirits were high! The spirit of revival was in the air in terms of celebrating the Legacy of Marcus Garvey invoking memories of those commemorations in the ’80’s and ’90’s at Armstrong Park.
The existing Parent-Body [national] UNIA is planning a Centennial Celebration of this International Convention next year [2020]. For more information about this event and other information on Garvey/UNIA please contact Brother Muhammad Yungai, Acting President of Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, Black Star Line Division, 466 at wiseone777@att.net .
Lumumba Moulton Photographer
This article originally appeared in New Orleans Data News Weekly.
