Introduction
I am writing in response to a document circulated to coincide with the seventieth anniversary of the passing of Honourable Marcus Garvey on 10/06/2010. The document which was brought to my attention is entitled, “Connections between Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie”
I will attempt to make sense of these writing, though I am slightly perplexed as to the motive for this piece. At a time when many of the brothers and sisters within the various Pan-Afrikan organisations are making exceptional inroads into the creation of a real and meaningful dialogue, this seems to me a very divisive and unnecessary publication. It has long been a tenet of the Rastafari movement that at some time in nineteen twenty seven (1927), on his return to Jamaica, the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey uttered the words, “Look to Afrika, for the crowning of a black king.” Whether Papa Garvey had foreknowledge of the prince regent who had already been earmarked for the throne of Ethiopia or not remains in the realms of speculation, but what was clear to many of the followers of Papa Garvey is that, he believed in the restoration of the Afrikan people to greatness, those at home and those abroad. So in nineteen thirty (1930), when Ras Tafari was crowned with great fanfare and worldwide acclamation, a die was well and truly cast. Afrikans the world over learned that there was a black king sitting on a throne, ruling a black nation and one that had been independent for as long as anyone could remember. I can only imagine how momentous that must have felt to a people, who everywhere else on the planet were subjected to foreign rule and outright oppression. It must also be noted that the brothers, Leonard Howell, Archibald Dunkley et al, who first brought the message of the risen black god, were people who had travelled outside of the Caribbean basin and therefore had an appreciation of the world beyond the islands. Most, if not all, had been members of the UNIA. They understood the plight of the ordinary Afrikan people, because they were ordinary people. They spoke from a sense of belonging to this group, which so desperately needed some hope. They connected the words of Papa Garvey, with the activities in Ethiopia, Afrika and came to the conclusion that we were in a time of redemption. That the creator had given us champions, in whom we could and should put our trust. As a result, through Papa Garvey and in Emperor Haile Selassie the First, hope for a better future was realised. Our vision became a reality.
The Impact of Marcus Garvey
“Afrika is a country of the future. Her inhabitants, her everything tends toward an Afrika of the natives, where they will rise to govern as other men are governing.” - Marcus Garvey (1919)
“Afrika belongs to every black man wheresoever he is found. …The only country that the black man can claim heritage is Afrika.” – Marcus Garvey (1920)
Marcus Garvey is, undoubtedly, the most important twentieth century figure in the Afrikan Diaspora history. The UNIA and ACL gave to a generation of Afrikans a sense of nationhood and belonging that had been missing since the transportation and enslavement of Afrikans in the western hemisphere. As the great grandchildren of those that became involved in the Garvey movement, we are indebted to Mr. Garvey for his foresight and for loving his people enough to create such a powerful organisation. Whatever you may think of Papa Garvey as a man, it is absolutely clear that he was in his own way excellent at mobilising his people around the things they had in common. It has been oft stated that no one since has been able to replicate his achievements. There are numerous reasons why, not least amongst them being the fact that our oppressor has effectively created feelings of distrust, love for everyone else (particularly our common oppressor) and a deep belief in religious doctrines not of our own making. In his time Papa Garvey's organisation established business enterprises, a military wing (for our defence), and a medical corps (to deal with health issues). We have all heard of the Black Starline Shipping Company and many have been convinced that it was a failure, due to its short life span. I suggest that the length of time it ran is less important than the fact that it was established at all. We must begin to give context to the things that we observe and learn, about our sojourn in the west. Everything must be seen in the context of our history. We came to the western world as property (chattel), which means that we owned nothing and were consulted about nothing. The world which we inhabit was built in spite of us and not by us. Therefore, all that has happened after the so-called ‘emancipation’ can be seen in terms of being a miracle. Our captors had written us off. In their opinion we lacked the capacity for high civilisation and maintenance of collective security. They believed that they had done an excellent job of hiding our historical achievements and that this would hamper our ability to compete on the world stage. However, men and women of determination kept rising from our ranks and chipped away at the edifice of whiteness. They laid the foundation upon which Papa Garvey would build his organisation. We have examples of this determination from the Haitian Revolution, through to the writings of David Walker. Also, from Mama Harriet Tubman and Mama Sojourner Truth to the various uprising across the Caribbean basin, the young Garvey learned that we had the capacity, as all people do, to control and determine our own destiny. As he was also fortunate to have travelled and also had enough of an enquiring mind to question what he saw and heard, he came to the conclusion that the Afrikan people needed a champion, as he put it, their own “...men and women of great affairs.” He also concluded that he would become one of those men of great affairs. Marcus Garvey preached racial pride and Afrikan redemption. His vision for Afrikan people frightened not only the ruling whites, but until this very day it frightens the blacks who want to rise in the white world. So we have many that claim to be supporters of Marcus Garvey, whilst doing everything in their power to misrepresent him and his works. Marcus Garvey was under no illusion that what he was doing was never going to make him popular amongst the “Negro” elite. These people had been weaned on the philosophies which issued from their white masters. They were the most educated amongst us, yet the most likely to fail to understand the idea of independent thought. Close to one hundred years after the establishment of Marcus Garvey’s organisation our degree laden brothers and sisters have yet to create anything that is likely to raise the standard of life for the ordinary Afrikan. Marcus Garvey spoke to the man who had nothing and gave him hope that he could rise. So many of us who had been written off by the societies into which we were born, found that we were able to attain decent lives despite our lack of qualifications, by following the teachings and the actions of the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. He told us to rise and accomplish, whatsoever you WILL.
The Impact of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
In stark contrast to the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the Emperor Haile Selassie was born into a family that occupied a position of ruler ship, a member of the elite. He was also born into an independent Afrikan nation. Not only was it an independent nation, but it was also the only nation in Afrika that had escaped the ravages of the Arab and European invasions, this is not to say she escaped undamaged. She had successfully beaten off attempts by these oppressors to take control of the land and subjugate the people. Many who are anti-imperialists view the emperor and this family as enemies of the people, but some of us value tradition and see the passage of time as the means of changing or repairing anomalies. The Emperor and his wife Empress Menen are noted amongst the nobility of Ethiopia for driving the abolition of the slave system that still prevailed in the nation. What we seem to have done is equate all forms of leader/ruler ship as being one and the same; therefore the imperial house of one nation is seen as a carbon copy of all the others. It is, without doubt, true that the ‘ruling classes’ of nations enjoy privileges which they do not always utilize, in the best interest of the people, of that nation. Again, we can see, in the context of Ethiopia, a movement towards greater power sharing. Let us journey back eighty years to the coronation of their Imperial Highnesses, which in its self was a break with tradition. On the second of November 1930, for the first time in the known history of Ethiopia, the Emperor and Empress where crowned together on the same day. This was in effect a re-establishment of the principle of Ndw Ntr or the equality and duality of humanity, as male and female entities. We should note that Queen Tiye ruled in Kemet with her husband Amenhotep III. It is stated that they were joint rulers of their land and that Queen Tiye’s words of wisdom were much sort after. They were the parents of Akhenaton. The Afrikan man and woman have been co-existent and complimentary to each other from ancient times. We need to contrast that with the way we are today under a European model of family life.
Again on 9th Hamlie 1923 (16th July 1931)the Emperor, “unasked and of Our own free will”, instituted the first state constitution of the Ethiopian nation. This was done because the Emperor was fully aware that Ethiopia could not and would not move forward without the approval of and cooperation of the entire Ethiopian people. Ethiopia, though a Christian country, has people of various cultural and religious affinities. Therefore, it was necessary for the Emperor to forge greater alliances between these forces and create the idea of Ethiopians being one people regardless of superficial differences. As stated in his speech “What life has taught us”, made famous by Bob Marley in the song, “War” he says, “We Afrikans will fight, we find it necessary and we know we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil”.
The Emperor and his family went into voluntary exile on May 2nd 1936. He made a statement in a meeting, whilst in transit to Britain, with the then Secretary General of the League of Nations (predecessor of the now United Nations), one Mr Eric Drummond, he said amongst other things,
“When the matter which arose between Ethiopia and Italy started, we made all the efforts we could that peace might not be disturbed. Until Italy poured down on us as it were a rain of poisonous gas, we fought for our country in a proper manner. But when poison came down like rain upon our army and our peaceful folk, we felt that we must recognise the impossibility of any strong defence against it. If we had put up a strong defence, the result would have been a vain annihilation by poison of the Ethiopian people. Therefore we request that the League of Nations may now continue for the future the support and efforts it has previously made to secure respect for the Covenant of the League; and that, in view of Italy’s transgression of many and various obligations which have been accepted by the countries of the world, the League of Nations neither recognise as pertaining to Italy the territory she has seized by improper and outlawed force of arms, nor accept Italian claims to sovereignty over any such territory”. - Silver Jubilee pg 81
The Emperor was able to speak with authority, when in the presence of leaders of the Western world, since he had been on the battlefield at Maichaw, manning the guns and fighting alongside his people. He therefore saw first-hand the obstacles in the way of a lasting victory against the brutality of the Italians. In coming to the United Kingdom, he was bringing the fight to those who had abandoned the Ethiopian people in their hour of need. It is clear that the diplomatic hurdles which it was necessary to jump and the fact that the Emperor’s presence in the UK was somewhat embarrassing for the British government, must have impacted on the ability of the Emperor and his party to become actively involved with Papa Garvey, we must always consider that the Emperor was representing his country which was being held to ransom by the United European Hierarchy. A point which I believe needs to be taken into consideration is this, one of the first things that Emperor Haile Selassie I did was to make the official name of Abyssinia, Ethiopia, thus creating a tangible link with, not only the psalmists, but also with Papa Garvey who, as has been oft stated in the connections document, often uttered the words, “Princes shall come out of Egypt and Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands.” Anyone who has read history will overstand that the word Ethiopia was long established amongst the Afrikans held captive in the west as a metaphor for Afrika in its entirety.
“No … legislation which does not have its roots in the customs of those whom it governs can have a strong foundation.” These words were spoken by H.I.M. on the 29th Mosiah 6209 (1968), at the publishing of the translated Fetha Negast, which is the ancient law of Ethiopia. The context was that the Emperor had as one of his first duties instituted penal codes within the constitutional framework of the government and this had been instituted by keeping the ancient law as its foundation.
Ras Tafari as Prince Regent
During the previous years, Ras Tafari Makonnen had established himself as a decent leader, via a spell as governor of Harar and as Prince Regent under Empress Zawditu. It is clear that, both of these roles where preparatory, in his journey towards ruling the nation in its entirety. Historically, Empress (Itegue) Zawditu came to power after her nephew Lidj Iyasu was deposed. Lidj Iyasu, the cousin of Ras Tafari, ascended to the throne after the death of his grandfather Emperor Menelik II’s death. Ethiopia has long been established as an Orthodox Christian nation. It was established as possibly the first nation to adopt the doctrine of the way, which we see as a modification of teachings going back in to the annals of history. This being so Lidj Iyasu made a serious miscalculation when he declared himself a convert to Islam and his intention to make Ethiopia into an Islamic empire. At the same time, December 1913, Britain is waging a war against the Mullah, Mohammed bin Abdullah Hussan, in Somalia. It is also clear that the Mullah viewed Ethiopia as an enemy, so when Lidj Iyasu aligned himself with the Mullah it became necessary to do something about the situation. Ras Tafari, who was twenty one years old at the time, played a key role in organising the assault against his cousin, who was, rightly, viewed as a traitor. Lidj Iyasu is denied a traditional coronation and is therefore never officially Emperor. During the time of Menelik, various European nations, including Germany and Russia, as well as the Ottoman Empire who are in control of Egypt, are trying to gain a secure foothold in the horn of Afrika. Ethiopia is seen as a place to be allied with. Lidj Iyasu’s conversion pleases both the Germans and the Turks (Ottoman), who want to see him installed as head of an Islamic Empire. In June 1916, Germany releases a manifesto in Ethiopia urging the Muslims in Ethiopia to rise up against the enemies of their religion. The principle of divide and conquer is in full effect. In 1884-85, following a request from Portugal, the first chancellor of the newly formed Germany, Otto von Bismarck, organised the KongoKonferenz (the Berlin Conference). At this conference Europe and the Ottoman Empire carved up Afrika. It is within this global dynamic that the actions of the Ethiopian leadership must be evaluated. With Britain in the Sudan to the west, in Kenya and Uganda to the south, Somalia to the east is partitioned by Britain, France, Italy and the Ottoman Empire and to the north Egypt is also Ottoman territory. Italy has been defeated at Adowa (1896) and still has ambitions in regard to the Ethiopian territory, regardless of the treaties it has signed. In a protocol, entered into by Britain and Italy, 5th May 1894, there was a implied acknowledgement that Ethiopia was a protectorate of Italy. As part of this protocol, Harar found itself as part of Italian Somali land and Britain believed it had the right to enter Harar to safeguard its interests. Italy’ defeat and Ethiopia’ expansion into what it sees as historical Ethiopian territory, of which Harar is part, are important, if we are to fully understand the complexities of the situation into which Ras Tafari is plunged.
The Impact of the Rastafari Movement in England
As an Afrikan, born in the England of the nineteen fifties, the advent of Rastafari, which manifested itself to us during the trials and tribulations of nineteen seventies England, were apt and timely. Let us examine for a moment life as it presented itself to young children whose families hailed from the Caribbean and Afrika. I will speak of my own experience, some may say that it is purely anecdotal and therefore dismiss it, but I can assure you that the reality of my experience was general amongst my peers. It is a story that very rarely gets told and when it does it tends to issue from the pens or the mouths of those who either where not there at the time or are trying to convince us that it wasn’t all that bad after all.
Behold
As the children of the migrants, who came from the Caribbean, grew, they become increasingly aware of the political inadequacy of the communities within which they were growing. They also started to become aware of the history of the Afrikan people vis-à-vis enslavement, and colonial rule. Add to this the racial abuse they were subjected to on a daily basis and you start to see why anger and frustration became their very good friends.
As an aside, I think it is important for the generations that have followed to understand that, within that context, building institutions was not at the top of the agenda. Many of us had left or been evacuated out of the school system with zero qualifications. To paraphrase Sister Joan MacFarlane (Playfayre), “The education industry is the only industry that produces faulty products and blames the product for its own failure, rather than the manufacturers of the product”. This is a very important point as so many of us entered high school with a great love of learning, not necessarily academic, but within a year or so of entering the institution we had become exclusively anti-learning and came to hate school. Is there any possibility that this was coincidental? I know for a fact that there was no coincidence in the outcome. We were skilfully played and manoeuvred into disabling ourselves. So, I do not deny that in the end analysis we elected to drop out or give up, but we were children and we were not treated as children. We were seen as a problem. We were dealt with as if we were less than human. So we reacted and often not in our own best interest. What is clear is that we did not have much support, as even the people who we knew loved us could not comprehend the torture we were going through, especially when they saw that some black children seemed to be escaping any form of discrimination. In fact what had happened is that amongst us there were those who decide or were conditioned to believe that being accepted was the most important thing to do. So, they did not make waves and possibly apologised when something was done to them. For many more of us, the attitude was, trouble me and we will fight.
We saw our parents (mostly our mothers) fighting daily to make ends meet. It is probably important to place us in a historical context as the children of migrants. In Britain we often hear about those migrants who have arrived over the centuries and ‘succeeded’ in being assimilated into the overall fabric of the society. Our position on the exterior is used against us. It is used as proofs of our unwillingness of conform to the norms of civilised society. We where and continue to be portrayed as people who have an innate dislike for authority. In order to understand how so many of us came to distrust those who present as ‘authority’ figures it is necessary to put the Britain which we grew up in under a microscope and examine it with a fine-tooth comb. It seems that at one level or another we had seen and understood the pressures that our mothers were faced with, but either because our father was not present or simply because he was at work all day we were unable to identify with his particular tribulations. We didn’t realise it then, but once we entered the workforce, which we often found huge barriers placed in our way to do even that, we saw the type of abuse our fathers had to endure and most of us were not willing to put up with it. So as difficult as it was to get employment as a black youth, we often walked out of jobs in protest at the treatment we or other Afrikan people received in these places. In short the reggae generation rebelled against everything and Rastafari gave them context.
Youth Culture
Rastafari exploded into the consciousness of the ‘Black’ youth via the vehicle of music, particularly reggae. The impact of Black America’s soul music did have some bearing, but most of us tended to hear this through the white media, Television and Radio, therefore it was filtered in a way that made it appear less than relevant. Time has proved that there was just as much going on in soul music, as in other forms of Afrikan music, to lift the consciousness of the ‘black’ population of white western societies. Anyway the influx of Jamaican nationals into England brought their music into the arena of all the immigrants then known as “WestIndians”. The Kaiso or Calypso of the Eastern Caribbean was also full of the political opinion and frustrations of the Afrikan population, but reggae spoke to the particular needs of many of the ‘Black’ youth in Britain.
Black Pride
It is difficult nowadays to fully comprehend the type of world that my generation was born into. The only outward expression of our culture was the Notting Hill Carnival. Today we have so many outlets of so-called blackness that it has become almost impossible to ascertain what direction we are going in. I, would suggest that this is because we are actually on the whole going around in ever decreasing circles. The sense of black pride, which so typified the early seventies and eighties, has been replaced by a very Eurocentric idea of individual gratification, a me, me, me mentality.
Prophesy
Prophesy can be defined as information given out by the creator via the means of Active Intellect, which impacts first on man’s rational faculty, and after that to man’s imaginative faculty. This is a paraphrase of official definitions, but it gives an idea of what prophesy is and is not. Prophesy, is not defined by the “prophet”, but by those that receive it. As with most things which are in the spiritual realm, empirical assessments are fairly meaningless. So for the “followers” of the “prophet” relatively innocuous statements can take on highly significant meaning at some time in the future, as someone interprets the words and gives them significance. Prophecy is steeped in faith, without that innate faith there is no reason for you to even consider the possibility of such a manifestation.
Who is a Prophet
A prophet is someone that is called, often not willingly, but is driven by a higher force to do and say things which are designed to cause others to think about and change aspects of their life. Within this context Marcus Mosiah Garvey is most definitely a prophet. He is a major prophet, whilst many more of us can be described as minor prophets, as we have also experienced epiphanies of our own. If prophesying is about edification and exhortation, which it appears to be, then again Marcus Garvey fits the bill. As his messages to the people always attempted to raise the standard by which they viewed themselves and asked them to become active participants in their own lives. Added to this, it is not necessary for a prophet to be the first person, to have uttered a particular prophesy. Sometimes he/she is reiterating the words of wisdom that have been handed down through the ages, because the people have forgotten themselves and their purpose in this world.
“We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign. The man who is not able to develop his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind.” – Marcus Garvey (Oct 1937)
UNIA Convention
The paper by PACAF makes claims regarding, an apparent snub of Marcus Garvey by Ras Tafari in 1920. As I have stated earlier with the overthrowing of Lidj Iyasu in 1916, the continuing struggles on the eastern border of Ethiopia between Britain and the Mullah for control of Somali land, which includes disputed territory which Ethiopia is in possession of, namely the province of Harar. It may have been folly to have attempted to travel to the USA at that time. In the Emperor's autobiography he makes reference to the prevailing situation in Ethiopia at that time, “In 1901 (= 1908-09) Emperor Menelik fell ill and had to spend his time at home; soon after this Ras Bitwaddäd Täsämma, Lidj Iyasu's regent, suddenly died. As a consequence, Lidj Iyasu, who had accepted the authority to guide the government, was for about six years quite incapable of shouldering his responsibility. When I myself took over this responsibility in 1909 (= 1916), it was necessary to correct the chaotic neglect of fully six years and to make a beginning with the work not yet started, … I spent my time working to the best of my ability, while my own ideas and the people fond of the old customs (particularly as the latter had many supporters) squeezed me like wood between two pieces of iron.” - Haile Selassie I Autobiography page 5- 6
As for the lack of a response which is alluded to, the writers can only use supposition as a tool to come to any conclusion on this fact. If this is claimed to be a scholarly treatment of the connections between Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie, then I would suggest that this type of activity has no place in the paper. In this same portion there is a quote, referring to one Prince Kojo Tavalou of Dahomey, purported to be from page 317 of the Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, I have been unable to trace the quote in that work.
As to the Honourable Marcus Garvey and prophesy “Many thought of him as a superhuman being who had been sent to rescue the race from suffering and oppression.” - Marcus Garvey Hero page 49
original document written 25th Mosiah (August) 2010
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