UK hands over Marcus Garvey's original death certificate to Jamaica

A crucial part of the history of Jamaica's first national hero, The Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, has now come home following the donation of his death certificate to the Marcus Mosiah Garvey Multimedia Museum and the Garvey Research/Reference Library on July 9 at the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank in Kingston.

Cultural and Ancestral Genealogist, Selena Carty, and Family History Consultant, Latoya Williams, made the donation of the document, which was previously housed in London, United Kingdom. 

The death certificate provides a comprehensive account of Garvey's life and death, including health conditions he faced.

Carty stated, “The significance of this handover is bringing it to a close. It provides complete information from birth to death for our first national hero, allowing his family to have closure regarding the circumstances of his death. This offers them a comprehensive experience of his life from start to finish.”

Williams emphasised that the death certificate will allow people to see Marcus Garvey as more than just a national hero but as a human being who had a life outside of his heroic deeds.

She stated, “It brings you right to that moment of death; you think about what they might have been going through in their life. For Marcus Garvey, I think that's something many people want and should know about. It was also significant that his family got to see that. It erupts many emotions in you, brings closure, brings joy, and gives insight all around.”

The death certificate's journey from London to Jamaica signifies more than just a physical relocation; it symbolises the bridging of historical and cultural gaps.

Carty continued, “When it comes to the link of the diaspora and Marcus Garvey, his reach was wider than Jamaica. His death in England meant that his documentation was there.”

She highlighted that Garvey's business records and docking records from his ship arrivals in England are also part of this historical collection.

“We are looking at transcripts that connect Jamaica to the world, allowing Jamaicans to see the extensive movement beyond our borders and continuing the link to Marcus Garvey and his legacy. Understanding this connection helps us as a people worldwide to develop economically, religiously, politically, and educationally,” she said.

Faith Anderson, Director of Liberty Hall: Legacy of Marcus Garvey, remarked on the importance of the event, stating, “Today we had the handing over ceremony for the certified copy of Marcus Garvey's death certificate. This is significant for us because it closes the circle in our collection.

“We already have his birth certificate and other important artefacts, but now we have his death certificate as well. This marks another journey for us, connecting with scholars, genealogists, and others interested in Marcus Garvey to further our learning.”

She noted, “The death certificate will be housed in our Marcus Garvey Multimedia Museum at 76 King Street.”

In addition to his death certificate, a copy of 'Pan-African Chronology III: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, 1914-1929' by Everett Jenkins Jr. was also donated.

Both donations were made to the Marcus Mosiah Garvey Multimedia Museum and the Garvey Research/Reference Library, respectively, which can both be found at Liberty Hall: Legacy of Marcus Garvey, Upper King Street in Downtown Kingston.

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