The Daily Garvey for September 22, 2009

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Today's message continues the essay “Look Up, You Mighty Race” By Marcus Garvey published in Blackman Magazine 2 (September-October 1936):3-4.  

The Present 

The Present of which we speak is that which has come out of the past, with all the experiments and improvements upon that which remains history (creditable to the one race of the other), including our own; but this present is complicated. Its systems are in conflict, and no one seems able to forecast the evolution of any future more pleasant than this present. In fact, everything seems gloomy, but the African must not be satisfied with this gloom. He must work himself out of the environment into one studiously created by himself. The environment must be his new civilization. With wisdom he ought to pick out all that is good, not only of the present, but of the past and add to it through the same wisdom those virtues and benefits that he thinks necessary as an addition to all that is good. This is the African's job –- that of remodeling our present civilization. Can he do it? That is the hope. If he fails he will die crumbling like the rest who are being surfeited under the present systems. The African has much in his favour in looking toward the building of a new civilization. He has been inactive for centuries if not millenniums in the political, social, economic structures. He was caught in the worldwind of alien systems and was carried so fast as to have made it impossible for him to recover himself earlier than the present time. His recovery must come through serious thoughtfulness. He has to dissociate himself from every environment of handicap. For quite a while he has been purely an imitator and “yes man” to everything around him. He has been reflecting the white man's idea of things socially, economically, industrially, religiously and philosophically.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Daily Garvey for September 10, 2009

September 10, 2009

Receive daily selected sayings of Marcus Garvey by joining the members of the Millions for Marcus Garvey Facebook group. This group is livicated to keeping the life, breath, words, works and mighty deeds by first President General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, foremost in the lives, hearts and minds of Africans at home and abroad.
Today's message comes from page 121 of “More Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey”  By Marcus Garvey, Amy Jacques Garvey, and Essien Udosen E8ssien-Udom. It is an extract from a speech entitled “The Work To Be Done” delivered at Edelweiss Park, Jamaica and reported in the Blackman newspaper of March 30, 1929.

The intelligence that has ruled the world for the last 300 years picked out the African as a weakling to dissipate him, to demoralize him, to the point where he was practically lost, until the vision of our organization came. Formerly the African's vision was not his, the captaincy of his soul was not his, he was not master of his fate, always following the direction of others who meant him no good. But thank God the hour has come for our own men, and we are finding them slowly, to direct our path in the way of a righteous Cause. We are finding our women to, willing to serve. Did not the Anglo-Saxon boast of a Florence Nightingale who tended to sick and dying soldiers in the Crimea War? Later they presented Edith Cavel who did yeoman service in the cause of white democracy in war time. So we to, when the time comes, will have ready women, trained and courageous, to offer their lives if need be for service to race and Africa, God be with you, and inspire you to serve your race and homeland.