Dr. Tony Martin
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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