Marcus Garvey’s teachings can save Ja - Donovan Burnett sees activist’s philosophies as solution to negative vibes

Jamaicans in the diaspora are often in despair when news of the country being under the gun of crime, corruption, and social and economic ills breaks.

Many wish to return to retire in the land of their birth but are encumbered by the negative images that abound, especially in the age of social media.

But Jamaica-born retiree, Donovan Burnett, sees a solution to the doom and gloom that seems to overshadow the greatness of the island and its world beating achievements.

Include the philosophies and opinions on Marcus Garvey in the high-school curriculum.

According to Burnett, Garvey had laid the blueprint for the nation’s social, political and economic advancement, which has been flatly ignored by those with the means to incorporate it into the national psyche.

“The works of Marcus Garvey should have been taught in the schools since the 1960s when Jamaica obtained so called independence. The Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, written by Amy Jacques Garvey, should be required reading for each Jamaican student when they enter high school. This action would have certainly given us an understanding of ourselves in the world and our standing as black people,” Burnett told The Gleaner.

After being faced with the inequalities of life because of the colour of his skin, Marcus Garvey embarked on a mission to free his fellow Africans in the diaspora of their mental slavery and formed his own party, the People’s Political Party, in September 1929.

He was, however, hounded out of Jamaica, and travelled extensively spreading his message of Africa for the Africans and raising the levels of self-esteem among blacks in the Western Hemisphere.

He eventually ended up in the US and headquartered his United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Harlem, New York.

His message has resonated with blacks around the globe until the present, and his life and works have been the subject of courses in leading universities in the US and the UK.

Garvey’s teachings inspired most iconic black leaders, including Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, both of whose fathers were members of the UNIA. His teachings also inspired the birth of the nation of Islam which powerful speaker Louis Farrakhan leads today.

But in the country where Garvey was born, many of the nation’s younger citizens know little of his worldly exploits. Many bleach their skin, have low self-esteem and glorify the perpetrators of crime, violence and debauchery.

Burnett believes this is an indictment against those who control the reins of academia.

“This action would have probably helped to cut down on crime and violence. Teaching Garvey would help with self-esteem in the country, as people would develop self-confidence and be tolerant of each other,” Burnett, who resides in New Jersey, said.

HOMAGE PAID TO GARVEY

Garvey is Jamaica’s first National Hero and, during Black History Month in the US, homage is paid to his contribution to the black struggle on a regular basis.

For decades, there have been calls from various quarters in Jamaican society for his teachings to be included in the secondary-school curriculum but that has not been realised.

For 65-year-old Pauline Brown who lives in Miami, Florida, Jamaica needs to remove the mental shackles that she describes as a colonial hangover.

“The Song of the Century was Bob Marley’s One Love. How many of us Jamaicans know that when Garvey finished his speeches he would end it with One Love? How many of us know that Marley’s Redemption Song was inspired by Garvey? That line ‘emancipate yourselves from mental slavery’ was coined by Garvey. Jamaica is where we are because we have failed to embrace what works for us, and keep looking outside. As Jimmy Cliff sings, ‘let’s teach the youths right’,” Brown said.