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Is Marcus Garvey's Motivation For African Americans

3049 Words13 Pages

Chris Collins
Intro to Africana
Final Exam
12/11/14

Part I

1. Marcus Garvey’s original motivation for launching his Black Nationalist and Pan-African agenda was a combination of his desire to improve the lives of all people of African descent and his dedication to the Fatherhood of God. This is evident in both the motto and mission statement of the UNIA, which stands for the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The motto “One God, One Aim, One Destiny” shows the importance of religion to the organization and to Garvey. In addition, the mission statement “…founded by persons desiring to do the utmost to work for the general uplift of the people of African ancestry of the world” tells us that the UNIA’s main goal is to promote all aspects …show more content…

He was even accused of being a member of the Klan during his trial for mail fraud.

3. The music video for “Strange Fruit” by Nina Simone is deeply disturbing because it shows a montage of photographs of lynchings in America. The song is extremely influential (Time Magazine called it the song of the century in 1999) and has been recorded by many different artists, with the most famous versions being sung by Nina Simone and Billie Holliday. The lyrics symbolize the lynchings of Blacks in America, with the “strange fruit” being the dead bodies hung from the poplar trees. The metaphor is most clear from the line “Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze.” What makes the music video especially disturbing is the reactions of the white people in the photos; many of them are smiling and treating the lynching as a celebration and a …show more content…

I think one of the best illustrations of rationalizing systematic oppression is Apartheid in South Africa in the 20th century. The government leaders of South Africa believed that the country should be divided by race, and that non-whites should not only live separately, but also be denied the right to vote, hold government office, or have basic civil rights. Apartheid was in effect for decades, yet because of these “blinders,” other countries and institutions were hesitant to do anything tangible to end Apartheid. To aid Apartheid, the government simultaneously implemented a conservative political and social agenda to discourage forward-thinking

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