16 Selected Quotes By Marcus Gravey, The Proponent Of The Pan-Africanism Movement
Marcus Mosiah Garvey Junior was a Jamaican journalist, political leader, orator, businessman and journalist, who was a key figure of the Pan-Africanism movement. Garvey was interested in creating a greater unity among all people of African origin and in order to facilitate that he established Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. Garvey’s philosophy of uniting all people of African origin was unique in nature due to its global appeal and came to be known as Garveyism. Garvey’s involvement in the movement was showcased in his decision to establish his own shipping line named Black Star Line that was involved in helping people of African origin to get to their original homelands. Other than being the advocate of his Garveyism, it is important to note that Garvey was a hugely gifted orator and was known to deliver rousing speeches regarding the subject that was closest to his heart. He was also a writer and journalist and one of his pieces in the magazine Negro World is particularly well known for the way in which he laid down his thoughts on African unity. Garvey remains an icon of the movement for African identity and his thoughts greatly influenced Africans all over the world. Here is a collection of his quotes and sayings gleamed from his speeches and writings.
The ends you serve that are selfish will take you no further than yourself but the ends you serve that are for all, in common, will take you into eternity.
If you haven't confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
Intelligence rules the world, ignorance carries the burden...
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the tongue is mightier than them both put together.
I regard the Klan, the Anglo-Saxon clubs and White American societies, as far as the Negro is concerned, as better friends of the race than all other groups of hypocritical whites put together.
Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men.
Great principles, great ideals know no nationality.
To be once defeated is to find cause for an everlasting struggle to reach the top.
We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, for though others may free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is our only ruler; sovereign.
We were like crabs in a barrel, that none would allow the other to climb over, but on any such attempt all would continue to pull back into the barrel the one crab that would make the effort to climb out.
You at this time can only be destroyed by yourselves, from within and not from without. You have reached the point where the victory is to be won from within and can only be lost from within.
If I die in Atlanta my work shall then only begin, but I shall live, in the physical or spiritual to see the day of Africa’s glory.
Whipped. It annoys me to be defeated; hence to me, to be once defeated is to find cause for an everlasting struggle to reach the top.
Be defeated; hence to me, to be once defeated is to find cause for an everlasting struggle to reach the top.
Was the crying voice from the grave that said, ‘Garvey, we have suffered for 250 years for your day and for your time; we expect something from you at this hour.’”16
