Essay Example on Marcus Garvey: A Hero of African-American History

Marcus Garvey is perceived as one of the greatest heroes in African-American history. He is credited for leading one of the most significant organized mass movement in the history of the African-American people. He is also known as the progenitor of the modern authenticity of the Black race and culture. He has been hailed by those who shared in his ideologies, particularly in the 1920s, as a political savior of the time. Some even nicknamed him as "the Negro Moses." As such, the paper is premised on the discussion of Marcus Garvey and the vision he had for African Americans. Some of the issues that will suffice are the vision for better living standards and education, to mention but a few.

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Marcus Garvey is remembered in the history of the United States because of his vision for the rights of the minority groups (Abdellatif 9). His first vision was on uniting different races through Pan-Africanism. He urged all the people to stand firm and work as a team in the bid of attaining the freedoms of the black people. He equally set a vision that fought for equality in terms of gender representation in different fields of life. One notable example can be deduced to the quest for African Americans to take part in the leadership positions to enable them to air out their grievances (Rosino and Hughey 2). He also made progression in the elimination of challenges that were undermining African-Americans, for instance, slavery and forced labor.

Marcus Garvey also had a vision of rescuing to create harmony among all people to cope with problems such as violation of human rights by the dominant groups living in the region (Blain 102). He intended to achieve a harmonious relationship through the creation of a good relationship between the majority groups of people and the African-Americans. As such, a platform was created where people from all races could meet regardless of their number in the United States and advocate for a better tomorrow.

He also foresaw the creation of socialization across all tribes to enable the African-Americans to air out their grievances such as inclusivity in terms of employment and equal sharing of resources. Marcus Garvey set the visions towards the rights of workers by leading as an example in advocating for workers' rights. He also led by example because he was at the forefront when it came to writing and publishing memorandums concerning the welfares of the workers. Most of the memoranda that were written and published showed that he wished to eradicate all forms of discrimination. He published documents that were associated with the rights of African Americans. The rights touched on job discrimination, thereby creating more opportunities for African Americans to venture into various types of jobs.

In terms of care and concern, Marcus Garvey was not only mindful about the life of the afterlife of Africans Americans after they had suffered a lot form all forms of discriminations but his most significant vision of all times was to attain the social, political, cultural, and economic success of the black people. He demonstrated these acts through his dreams. He dreamt of achieving visions that could favor political stability throughout the country, thereby helping the people to come together and interact with each other regardless of their races hence leading to cultural exchanges and boosting the economy of the country.

When it came to social visionary, Marcus Garvey had a vision of establishing institutions such as schools and the places of worship to enable the African Americans to exercise their fundamental rights. He was interested in creating a society that valued the cultural norms of all people regardless of their diversity (Chambers 264). The schools would aid in the advancement of civilization while the churches would mold moral and cultural values amongst the people.

His other vision was on the improvement of the lifestyles of African Americans through the transformation of the African American lifestyle. He emphasized on the living standards of African Americans and identified various challenges that were facing them; for instance, the low wages. As such, there was a need to advocate for a better working environment with better wages that would guarantee a better lifestyle.

Marcus Garvey also volunteered towards the achievement of African Americans' visions through the formation of freedom movements such as the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The association was established to aid the blacks to advocate for their rights.

For instance, the need for freedom of setting up shipping and privates industries to provide them with the source of income to gather for their daily livings that could sustain their lives. Also, he was concerned about visions that were targeting to end white supremacy to enable black people to acquire access to the leadership positions.

Another vision was on the achievement of African American's dreams by attending several Pan-Africanist congresses that were held in various places of the world (Mislan 118). Most of these Pan-African Congress consisted of representatives from each nation. Therefore, Pan-African congress enabled him to meet with different leaders across the world whom they could easily interact, hence, helping him gain knowledge and skills on how to approach and the incorporation of various strategies to be used while fighting for the rights of African Americans.

His speeches were also not ordinary but full of visions that touched on the affairs of the African Americans. He was part of the many meetings that were held globally to discuss the challenges that affected African Americans. Most of his speeches addressed the rights of African Americans, for example, the need for freedom to fully exercise their rights without limitations. He also did a speech that focused on the respect to human dignity that should be owed to the African Americans regardless of their skin color to eliminate any kind of racial discrimination in the region (Blain 3).

Marcus Garvey was equally optimistic in his visions. He participated in the editing of several newspapers that were addressing the challenges that were endured by African Americans through discriminations, for instance, being forced to provide labor to the white masters. His passion and perseverance helped him to attain the goals of safeguarding the lives of African Americans. The act of passion and perseverance that was portrayed by Marcus Garvey can also get drawn from several instances where he accepted to remain firm and steady in the fight for the rights of the African Americans.

Also, Marcus Garvey had a vision of inspiring African Americans. He urged them to get concerned about their welfare and seek channels of making a better life. He motivated them to be focused and work towards the attainment of a common goal. He also motivated African Americans to fight for their independence, thus leading to a humane society whereby all people are considered equal before the law.

Marcus Garvey recognized the identity of African Americans through his visions; he encouraged them to be proud of their skin colors regardless of various forms of abuses and mistreatments that were imposed on them by the whites. He used Biblical teachings to remind the African Americans about their likeness to God's image and, as such, were special people. He also allowed pastors to be part of his institution, something which portrayed him as both humanitarian and philanthropic.

Conclusion

In summary, Marcus Garvey is portrayed as someone who had great visions for African Americans. The visions were primarily on the improvement of better living standards and the realization of the American dream. A dream that connoted America as a land of honey. A place where every person, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or the color of their skin, can go to and acquire a better living. Marcus Garvey, therefore, contributed to the achievement of the dream by visioning a better future for African Americans. This minority group endured slavery and discrimination in the hands of white supremacists.

Some of the issues that he foresaw included the unity and the promotion of peace. He had a dream of uniting all races of people in the United States to eradicate differences that arise due to racial stereotypes. He saw America as a nation that celebrates all the people and has embraced diversity to the latter. He was also more interested in the future of African Americans since he called for the establishment of industries that could help to create more job opportunities for black people—as such, teaching the people how to fend became pivotal in the achievement of independence. He also published several newspapers as a way of airing out African Americans' challenges. Marcus Garvey had a vision of transforming African Americans from slavery to enable them to enjoy their fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression.

His passion was also noted in a series of his service deliveries that inspired hope amongst African America. He made them realize the beauty of being black and the need for respect and equality of all humanity across the globe. He called for the end of any kind of discrimination and the adoption of social, political, cultural, and religious interventions on numerous occasions, thus creating peace. Lastly, his vision was also imaged when he volunteered to attend most of the meetings, thus enabling him to acquire more knowledge on how to advocate for the rights of the African Americans people.

Works Cited

Abdellatif, Gabriel A. "Marcus Garvey: A Legacy Obscured by Infamy." Young Historians Conference, 20 Apr. 2017, www.pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=younghistorians. Accessed 10 Jun. 2020.

Blain, Keisha N. "[F] or the Rights of Dark People in Every Part of the World": Pearl Sherrod, Black Internationalist Feminism, and Afro-Asian Politics during the 1930s." Souls, vol. 7, no.1-2, Jun. 2015, pp. 90-112, www.researchgate.net/profile/Keisha_N_Blain/publication/278028403_For_the_Rights_of_Dark_People_in_Every_Part_of_the_World_Pearl_Sherrod_Black_Internationalist_Feminism_and_Afro-Asian_Politics_during_the_1930s/links/55822a9508ae6cf036c174fa.pdf. Accessed 11 Jun. 2020.

Blain, Keisha N. "End the Autocracy of Color": African Americans and Global Visions of Freedom." Imperial & Global Forum, 15 Feb. 2016, www.ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=history_pubs. Accessed 10 Jun. 2020.

Chambers, Ali D. "Cultural Solidarity and the Free Space of the Black Fraternity." Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 7, no. 3, Sep. 2014, pp. 254-281, www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol7no3/7.3-18-Chambers.pdf. Accessed 11 Jun. 2020.

Mislan, Cristina. "An "Obedient Servant" Internationalizing and Capitalizing on Blackness in Marcus Garvey's Negro World." Journalism History, vol. 39, no.2, 2013, pp. 116-126, www.academia.edu/download/32468926/An_Obedient_Servant.pdf. Accessed 10 Jun. 2020.

Rosino, Michael L., and Matthew W. Hughey. "The struggle for black freedom in Miami: civil rights and America's tourist paradise, 1896-1968." Louisiana State University Press, 08 Jan. 2016, www.michaelrosino.com/info/struggle.pdf. Accessed 11 Jun. 2020.