• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
I Rise

I Rise

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes

  • My culture, my country
  • Moments in time
  • Culture
  • Empower
  • Features
  • Health and Wellness
  • Things to do

Proud to Be: Reclaiming black dignity

26 October, 2021 by Pasha O
Marcus Garvey proud to be

The theme of Black History Month 2021 is Proud to Be. How did our ancestors reclaim their dignity and what made them proud to be after slavery?  

I grew up listening to a lot of uplifting songs that told me I should be proud to be black. Growing up during a time when the National Front were calling for black people to be “sent back”, songs like Young Gifted and Black and Black Pride were rather comforting.

As we continue the struggle to have our voices heard in 2021, I’m reminded of those who came before us who attempted to uplift black people after slavery. I discovered that there were several Jamaicans who travelled the world after slavery reclaiming our connection to Africa and attempting to promote black pride. A few even claimed to be royalty.

Isaac Uriah Brown

In his book Rastafari: Roots and Ideology, Barry Chevannes writes about Isaac Uriah Brown who proclaimed his family ties to Abyssinian royalty sometimes as a “brother” or as a “Prince” himself.

In April 1904, dressed in stylish clothes Brown arrived in Kingston Jamaica on a steamship from London. Posing as Royal Prince Thomas Isaac Makarooroo of Ceylon he spoke about Jamaica’s slave past, the oppressive social order, racial discrimination, the immoral system of taxation that fell most heavily on the peasantry, the absence of workers’ rights, low wages, and the highly unjust legal system. Brown introduced the question of Africa to all who would listen.

He was eventually arrested for sedition in 1905 after advocating for a strike for higher wages and non-payment of taxes. He told his audiences that after emancipation each slave was to have received sixteen acres of land in compensation but that the whites took it, and he was going to land his own troops to get it back. After serving a one-month sentence, Brown left for England where he continued speaking on Africa.  

Marcus Garvey

Brown and others like him planted the seeds of a connection and a return to Africa but Marcus Mosiah Garvey was the most famous for spreading the word at home and abroad.

Born in St Ann, Jamaica, 53 years after slavery, Garvey became famous worldwide as a courageous leader who was eloquent in his call for improvement for Blacks. Among his main objectives, he wanted to restore black people’s dignity which slavery and colonisation had damaged. Garvey sought the alliance of all Blacks through the establishment of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914.

He ambitiously aimed to organise blacks everywhere but the United States is where he accomplished the most and had the greatest influence. He spent many years there pursuing his goal of Black Unification, tapping into and increasing the growing black aspirations for wealth, justice and a sense of community. He often spoke out against economic exploitation and the disparagement of black culture.

Between 1914 and the 1920s, his UNIA was the largest black non-religious organisation in black history, larger than the civil rights movement and spanning from the United States and the Caribbean to Africa.

Malcolm and Martin

Whilst many black people turned away from Garveyism during his time, what he had to say concerning racial pride and the potential for great racial success still resonated. These threads were picked up by later civil rights activists such as Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King who called Marcus Garvey the first man “to give millions of Negroes a sense of dignity and destiny.”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Related

Category: FeaturesTag: Black in America, Black in the Caribbean

You might be interested in…

JOSEPHINE BAKER

I Spy: The Josephine Baker Story

Black girl magic

Black women empowerment: How to lift each other up

stephen lawrence

22 April is Stephen Lawrence Day – Have things got better?

purple petaled flowers centerpiece

Why do we celebrate Easter?

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sidebar

Recent posts

Lizzo

Lizzo documentary coming to HBO Max

Youtube recipe for change

YouTube unveils content from the Black Voices Fund

high rise buildings near beach

Hawaii overtourism: What is it and what can you do?

JOSEPHINE BAKER

I Spy: The Josephine Baker Story

Actor Janelle Monaé (Hidden Figures) is set to star as the iconic entertainer Josephine Baker in a new TV series titled De La Resistance. So who was Josephine Baker? Exotic cabaret dancer, operatic singer, comedienne, first black movie star, and bisexual celebrity. Although all these titles frequently appear in searches connected to entertainer Josephine Baker, …

Subscribe to never miss a post

Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Trending posts

  • UK Riots of 1981
    UK Riots of 1981
  • Lizzo documentary coming to HBO Max
    Lizzo documentary coming to HBO Max
Drawing of the zong massacre -slaves being tossed overboard

The Zong Massacre

Actors dressed in ku klux klan costumes in a scene from the film the birth of a nation

Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

Claudia Jones leads protest against immigration act

The Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962

Bellefield Great House

Sir Francis Kerr-Jarrett – Jamaican landowner

  • About
  • Contact us
  • Be a guest writer
  • Cookies

Copyright © 2022 · I Rise · All Rights Reserved ·

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLACCEPT ALL
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
SAVE & ACCEPT