GARVEY LIVES!!!
MOSIAH LIVES!!!
Although it took several decades to acknowledge, the creative flourish known as the Harlem Renaissance and the advent of “The New Negro” was very much inspired by the Garvey Movement. Some of the luminaries that gained exposure in The Negro World included Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston and Augusta Savage. (1) The reliance of the Harlem Renaissance on the “potential revolutionary infrastructure” that the UNIA-ACL provided can be illustrated by its decline coinciding with the turmoil within the UNIA-ACL due to the war declared on it by the USA government that resulted in the sham trial and imprisonment of Marcus Garvey. (2) After this point the movement was largely co-opted by whites. (3)
The next major artistic uprising happened in the 1960s during the period of Afrikan independence (the “Afrikan decade”) and Black Power. (4) Prominent writer from that era Larry Neal referred to the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s as the “…aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept.” (5) Fellow travellers included Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, Dudley Randall, Sonia Sanchez, Haki R. Madhubuti, Toni Cade Bambara and Hoyt W. Fuller. (6) On the Motherland, emerging writers such as Chinua Achebe and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o were penning post-colonial affirmations of Afrikan culture and values (7), while auteurs like Ousmane Sembène used the silver screen as their canvas to do likewise. (8) This time the counter revolutionary fight back against the movement was less inclined to co-opt than to crush, using strategies like COINTELPRO in the USA and neo-colonialism on the continent. (9)
This isn’t to say that radical art doesn’t exist outside of these periods of mass activism. In essence, art can be a reminder and progenitor of revolutionary potential. As Spoken Word Activist, Journalist & Cultural Scientist Tafadzwa ShakaRa Mbandaka asserts:
“If the Movement can inspire the arts of that generation, the Movement can inspire the arts of this generation and in turn, the art can inspire the movement. What you call a symbiotic relationship…” (10)
From this symbiosis can spring sustenance for each. The revolution is the fertile soil for the artists, which in turn requires its own soundtrack, iconography and popular (accessible) expression. For example, it would be hard to imagine Rastafari without reggae music or indeed reggae without Rastafari. (11)
The Garvey Movement effectively harnessed various art forms in the cause of Afrikan liberation in the aim of a revolutionary culture that effects mass engagement. (12) Arguably, this was an attempt to replicate culture in the traditional setting – communal and inclusive.
However, most art is rendered in the current industrialised, imperialistic context, almost as an end in itself (“arts for art’s sake”) for profit and/or notoriety. (13) There need not be any collective participation or shared overstanding, in fact in many cases, the more obscure the better, leaving observers wondering what a particular art is “trying to say.” (14) But according to playwright, director and educator Paul Carter Harrison, this is a contradiction to our liberation mission where the symbiotic conveyance and reception becomes ritual:
“In order to realize one’s fullest human potency, one must be part of a whole community and participate in the beliefs, ceremonies, rituals and festivals that designate its preferred image of humanity. The product-image should affirm the reality of collectively achieved power, and transcend the vaporous imaginings of DO-YOUR-OWN-THING individualism. The individual who detaches himself from the spirit of the community, sacredly or secularly cuts off the roots of his foundation.” (15)
The ‘moment’ that rose two years ago after the killing of George Floyd has all but dissipated, save some murals of the tragic victim of heinous police brutality while some reputations have been left in tatters. (16) Thus, the challenge now, as it was May 24th 2020 is to proactively (not reactively) organise, utilising every resource at our disposal. As Papa Garvey made clear, the alternative is to perish.
(1) Tony Martin (1983) Literary Garveyism: Garvey, Black Arts, and the Harlem Renaissance. The Majority Press. p. 73-7. In his back cover book endorsement Henry Louis Gates proclaims: “Perhaps an adequate manner by which to characterise the importance of Professor Martin’s work is this:every other study on both the Harlem Renaissance and Afr0-American literature is now out of date.”
(2) Afrika Speaks with Alkeb-Lan on Galaxy Radio (06/08/22) #WeExonerateGarvey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq5glL1Du_8; Loop News (11/02/22) Jamaica to push for exoneration of Marcus Garvey — GG. https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content/jamaica-push-exoneration-marcus-garvey-gg
(3) Martin. p. 157-9
(4) Jean Allman (2018) AHR Reflections The Fate of All of Us: African Counterrevolutions and the Ends of 1968. American Historical Review. p. 728. https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-pdf/123/3/728/25025832/zay728.pdf
(5) Kalamu ya Salaam (1997) The Black Arts Movement (BAM) in The Oxford Companion to African American Literature. Oxford University Press. https://aalbc.com/authors/article.php?id=2087
(6) Ibid
(7) Chinweizu (1988) Voices From Twentieth Century Africa – Griots and Towncriers. Faber & Faber. p. xxxxvi
(8) Richard J Powell (1997) Black Art and Culture In The 20th Century. Thames and Hudson. p. 216-8.
(9) J Edgar Hoover (25/08/67) COUNTERINTELLIGENCE Program Black Nationalist – Hate Groups Internal Security. http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/COINTELPRO-FBI.docs.html; Kwame Nkrumah (1970) Neo-Colonialism The Last Stage of Imperialism. Panaf
(10), ShakaRa Mbandaka (21/10/16) The History of Black History Month. Presentation at the Rise Of The Griots event, Maa Ma’at Cultural Centre.
(11) Makonnen Sankofa (2022) The Rise Of Rastafari: Resistance, Redemption & Repatriation (Revised Edition). Peaches Publications. p. 117-23 https://www.proquest.com/openview/e6598610b688ce80e9045cdac7e1231e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=55089
(12) Martin. p. 156-7
(13) Ani, Marimba (1994) Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European Thought and Behavior. Africa World Press. p. 205
(14) Ani. p. 208
(15) Paul Carter Harrison (1972) Drama of Nommo: Black Theatre in the African Continuum. Grove Press. p. xxiii-xxiv
(16) Keith Reed (10/05/22) BLM Co-Founder Says She Put $6 Million Home To Personal Use. https://www.theroot.com/blm-co-founder-says-she-put-6-million-home-to-personal-1848904788
we ask the question:
Can revolutionary art thrive outside a revolutionary movement?
1) Where do revolutionary artists get their inspiration from?
2) what value is art to the Liberation movement?
3) To what extent can art inspire the movement?
4) Is there really a symbiosis between art and the Movement? How can it be reignited?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Bro. M A Bunia: is a Pan Afrikan ‘Lens’ Cultural programmer, organiser, screenwriter and educator based in London who was raised and educated by his father with Garveyite Pan Africanist principles, and via his membership to the A-APRP and his later development in the arts and special education sector has manufactured encounters with some of the biggest colonial/neo-colonial arts & education institutions in the UK, and their clientele.
After 15 years of research ‘on their ground’, but on his terms, Bunia is committed to the development of Pan Africanist Black Nationalist analysis and praxis in the fields of lens cultures, semitotics & propaganda, and is currently in Senegal building a Pan African Multidisciplinary Arts & Academic research & residential co-op space, ‘Bánza Kunda’ (Think House) in Ouakam, Dakar.
A strong advocate of cooperation and proximity between organisations, and a revival of technologies of assembly in our communities, he and his wife have embarked on movements to organise and build a network of co-operatives in the field of education and arts that honour the principles of Black Nationalist Pan African liberation theory and practice. In January this year he joined Filmmika – a Decolonial African Film Distribution Platform – as a co-director & programmer, (relaunch this autumn), and is currently at the mid-point of research In Senegal, Gambia & Kinshasa which will be published in a paper titled ‘Taking Inventory of Afrikan Cinema’.
Bunia works in FE in London and is also working towards opening institutions in London, Kinshasa and The Caribbean. Future projects include The Pan Afrikan School of Power, Semiotics & Cinema, Pan African Lens Assemblies – A Journal of Global Afrikan lens cultural convergences & the Black Lens Co-op – a London Based filmmakers society. Web presence for each will be published before the end of Mosiah as an offering to Papa Garvey.’
Bro. Malick Diouf: is lives in Senegal and is an activist, author, scriptwriter and personal development coach and founder of a number of initiatives and events including: Tekki groupe, APDP of UCAD, USSEIN, MOSAAN and INOUBLIABLES VACANCES events. Mac Mic is an Afrikan Spiritualist that been works with young people, students,” in order to prepare them for the african/black-people revolution.” He has acted in a dozen films., the creator of L’étudiant (the student »: the first student’s magazine in Senegal with a Pan-Afrikan perspective) and is author of Succeeding In Higher Education: The 7 Secrets To Success At University.
Sis. Tamu Mazama: is a young activist and musician. She was born in Philadelphia, USA but has spent extensive time in Guadeloupe and the Eastern Caribbean. She was home-schooled by her mother, leading Afrocentic scholar Ama Mazama since first grade. Sis. Tamu is multi-lingual She has visited 33 countries in five continents. She is the author of Seventeen Dry Seasons, a representation of the world’s condition through her own journeys and eyes. She is currently a third-year student of Africology at Temple University.