Culture: Some Of Marcus Garvey’s Best Quotes

Today is the birthday of Jamaica’s 1st National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr.

Born in St Anns Bay, Garvey was Jamaican political leader, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and activist of the Black nationalism and Pan-Africanism movement from which he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL). Garvey founded the Black Star Line, part of the Back-to-Africa movement, which promoted the return of the African diaspora to Africa.

Garvey was unique in advancing a Pan-African philosophy to inspire a global mass movement and economic empowerment focusing on Africa known as Garveyism, this would eventually inspire others, ranging from the Nation of Islam to the Rastafari movement.

Below are some of Marcus Garvey’s best quotes.

Africa for the Africans… at home and abroad!

Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.                                                                                                                                                                

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.

I have no desire to take all black people back to Africa; there are blacks who are no good here and will likewise be no good there.

If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.                                                                                                              

The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness.                                                                              

With confidence, you have won before you have started.

We are men; we have souls, we have passions, we have feelings, we have hopes, we have desires, like any other race in the world. The cry is raised all over the world today of Canada for the Canadians, of America for the Americans, of England for the English, of France for the French, of Germany for the Germans – do you think it is unreasonable that we, the Blacks of the world, should raise the cry of Africa for the Africans?            

Hungry men have no respect for law, authority or human life.

A man’s bread and butter is only insured when he works for it.