by Shaka Barak ~

 • Fellow Garveyites in Garveyism greetings
Thirty-five years ago there were no Africans, and people of African descent, claiming to be Garveyites, with the exception of a few elders. They were scattered here and there, inside and outside the UNIA & ACL, that used the term occasionally more often to describe others as “those Garveyites, rather than to describe themselves, as in “I’m a Garveyite.” I was one of the few, that said that, and was taken aback at first to hear people respond, in a condescending way, “what is a Garveyite or to hear them say “a Garveyite, “whatever that means? It was more of what I felt inside than I had ever cared to or had to try to explain back then.
The way proud people of African descent saw themselves were as loyal UNIA & ACL members, who dedicated their entire lives to the UNIA & ACL, and the redemption of Mother Africa. Maybe if they were asked what were they, they would say I’m a Garveyites, seldom facing the follow up question, “What’s that? We also said we were Black, or African nationalist, or Black African Cultural nationalist. When we said that we were Pan-Africanist, it was more of an ideology we claimed than the practice then or now of actually working in organizations made up of members from the African diaspora. Continental Africa born, Caribbean born Africans, South and Central American born Africans are seldom in or at these so-called Pan Africanist organization meetings or Pan African forums or conferences. Most meetings held by African Americans that I attend are made up of African Americans.
Nevertheless, we people of African descent belonged to organizations that were off shoots of the UNIA, like Garvey Clubs, and we were in organizations that had leaders, and members who had sprung or ran from the ranks of the UNIA, Like NOI, MSTA, Rastas, Ethiopians etc. Thirty-five years later, however, I can say proudly that today we are living in the age of Garveyism, where more seem proud to say we are Garveyites and willing to try and explain what being a Garveyite means. So here we go! Think of the question as if your mother asked, Son or Daughter, I have tried to raise you as a _______, but you say you are a Garveyite, so please tell me, what are you? What is a Garveyite? What are Garveyites?
The question is, what is a Garveyite? Not who is Marcus Garvey, and what is Garveyism. Amy Jaques Garvey wrote the book, Garvey and Garveyism. My question to all Garveyites is, what is a Garveyite? Before I give my long prepared narrative on this subject, if you are reading this, and you say you are a Garveyite, then what or who are you? There are no wrong answers. Lets teach each other.

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