January 18, 2013

Dr Tony Martin, Ibà á şẹ



Dr. Tony Martin


When an elder dies, a library burns.”

The death of Dr. Tony Martin is a tremendous loss to Caribbean scholarship and the Pan-African movement. Dr. Martin’s groundbreaking work, Race First: the Ideological and Organizational Struggles of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association, provided the intellectual framework for many scholars to comprehend the genius of Marcus Garvey and the UNIA. His other works From Pre-Colonial Origins to the Present (2012) published by Pearson Education; Amy Ashwood Garvey: Pan-Africanist, Feminist and Mrs. Marcus Garvey No. 1, Or, A Tale of Two Amies (2007), provided a context for Garvey’s personal life and his times. Literary Garveyism: Garvey, Black Arts and the Harlem Renaissance, recommended to me by Garvey scholar, Ras Don Rico Ricketts, helped me to understand Garvey’s role in the Harlem Renaissance.

Dr. Martin was also a generous man. When I was doing research for a children’s book, I emailed him for clarification on some details of Garvey’s early life. I didn’t expect an answer. To my surprise, Dr. Martin answered my email and in a subsequent email, pointed me in the right direction. I will be forever grateful.

Rest in Peace, Professor Martin.


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