SUNY Old Westbury students, faculty and staff kicked off Black History Month learning more about Marcus Garvey, noted 20th century leader of the first American Black nationalist movement, directly from his son, Dr. Julius W. Garvey. A surgeon and medical professional, Dr. Garvey visit the University to lead the discussion “Look for Me in the Whirlwind: Reparations, Restorative Justice & the Continued Legacy of Marcus Garvey.”
“The Black Studies Center is excited to bring Dr. Julius Garvey to campus as part of our ‘Examining and Sustaining Black Studies Lecture and Performance Series’,” said Dr. Jermaine Archer, director, and Associate Professor of American Studies. “The discussion was enlightening, but one of the things that struck me most was when Dr. Garvey talked about the reduction of information related to systems of power and how Marcus Garvey, at a different time, understood the importance of getting that information out there as not just as a stellar activist but also a producer of media.”
Marcus Garvey was the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the largest black organization of its time in the world, with nearly 1,000 branches worldwide. Among his teachings, he believed in an independent Black economy, and established the Negro Factories Corporation, the Black Star Line shipping company, the Negro World newspaper, a chain of restaurants, grocery stores, a hotel and more.
Of his father’s philosophies, Dr. Julius Garvey encouraged the Old Westbury audience to remember that “it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves because we have the capacity to do anything we want to do within our own community. That was the basis of my father’s organization.”
Dr. Garvey, who is the editor of the upcoming book, “Justice for Marcus Garvey, Look for Me in the Whirlwind,” is committed to honoring the life of his father. Today, he, along with supporters and fans, continue to work in pursuit of a presidential pardon to exonerate Garvey for the mail fraud conviction that ended his residence and political activism in the United States in the 1920s.
Watch the Coverage from OWTV