MARCUS GARVEY; A NATIONA;L HERO OF JAMAICA

Marcus Marcus Mosiah Garvey

Commentary
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Marcus Mosiah Garvey in ceremonial dress

Marcus Mosiah Gravey (1887-1940) one ofJamaica’s National Heroes was born in St, Ann parishm in Jamaica, He went to America, and spenthis whole life working for the upliftment of the Negro race. He founded teh Negro Univewrsal Improvement Association (UNIA) to Foster a Back-To- Africs Africans Movement which was joined by thousands of coloured people. He died in England, in 1940.

On August Seventeen , Eighteen Eighty-seven,
In St. Ann the saviour , Mosiah,was born;
Lo, the black warrior lay ,
In year Nineteen Forty June Ten,
Worn-out in an alien land,
His last hour to leave his weakening breast ,
Unvanquish’d his fleeting breath
Stirs alive black pride in woman and man.


Lo, we lay low his mortal foil
In the bosom of his native soil,
National Hero in the heroic circle;
But the grave dares not his spirit hold,
His unprisoned voice straddles the world.
Marcus Garvey like ocean waves
Breaking on the dark sand from shore to shore,
Like bright sunshine against the darken’d clouds ,
Like a fire unquenchably sure ,
Kaunda, Jomo Kenyatta and Mandela,
Leaders of Jamaica, King of America,
Chile to Canada, Panama to Costa Rica,
From Green Island to Morant Point,
Thousands are guided by his light.


Up , up, you mighty race,
Unfurl’d is the banner of Liberty!
We march against their milky ways
To carve our place among the blanch-ed ranks;
No sword and buckler we bear
But the flag of black, green and gold;
Unite! Advance! One Aim , One Destiny!
We have yet to win the fight;
Let fly Garvey’s worded arrows
To break the wall that harrows;
We forge to keep our dignity in sight.