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Negro With a Hat

the Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey
Nov 16, 2018lukasevansherman rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
"In death I shall be a terror to the foes of Negro liberty. Look for me in the whirlwind or the song of the storm. Look for me all around you."-Marcus Garvey, 1925 A sweeping, absorbing, and well-researched biography of the larger than life Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey, who during his heyday was the most famous black man in the world. Garvey ended up in Harlem and became famous as an orator, writer, and activist and for his back to Africa movement. Colin Grant traces his life from Jamaica to London to Harlem to prison in Atlanta and back to London. He cut a flamboyant figure, often dressing like an army officer, and often clashed with other black leaders, notably the great intellectual W.E.B. DuBois, but no one could doubt his commitment to the uplift of the black race. His career ended ignominiously, as he was convicted of mail fraud, jailed, and then exiled to London. He failed to achieve his goal, but his influence would emerge in the Rastafarian movement, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Power movement. A terrific biography of an extraordinary 20th century figure.