"Seven Miles of Black Star Liners" by Fred Locks

Marcus Garvey told us
That freedom is a must.
He told us that the Black Star Liners
Are coming one day for us.

Seven miles of Black Star Liners coming in the harbour.
Seven miles of Black Star Liners coming in the harbour.

Marcus Garvey's work has inspired so many African. African American, and
Caribbean leaders, artists, singers and songwriters..including Fred Locks

Yet,sadly, according to the public records, Marcus Garvey remains a convicted felon.
This is why we are calling on President Barack Obama to EXONERATE Marcus Garvey.

If you would like to join in the online petition to clear the name of a good man, an innocent man,  here is the link:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Sing along, sign, and  pass it on:

Marcus Garvey: Human Rights Champion--Today!

“Marcus Garvey was the first man, on a mass scale, to give millions of Negroes a sense of dignity and destiny ... . He gave us a sense of personhood, a sense of manhood, a sense of somebodiness." 

~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As part of Miami Dade College’s (MDC) month-long celebration of Black History Month, Professor Geoffrey Philp will be delivering a series of lectures, “Marcus Garvey: Human Rights Champion” at the North Campus. The lectures are free and open to the public.

“On August 13, 1920, Marcus Garvey and the UNIA published the “Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World,” said Professor Philp. “The declaration highlighted basic human rights, which were finally included in the United Nation’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” on December 10, 1948. Garvey and the UNIA were ahead of the world body by twenty-eight years!” 

The kickoff for the lecture series will be on Thursday, February 13, 2014, at the North Campus. Join us for these lectures on Marcus Garvey’s visionary movement which championed the human rights of peoples of African descent in North America and the African diaspora worldwide.

MDC recognizes Black History Month each year with an array of community and educational activities at each of its seven campuses. College administrators believe students, as well as the community at large, should be mindful of the contributions made by Black Americans throughout this country’s history, both past and present

Marcus Garvey: Human Rights Champion

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Time: 11:15 to 12:30 p.m.

Room: 2151

***

RESPECT Garvey: Community

Community

“The thing to do is to get organized; keep separated and you will be exploited, you will be robbed, you will be killed. Get organized, and you will compel the world to respect you.” ~ Marcus Garvey

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning  President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Museum Forum: Civil Rights in Miami

Museum Forum: Civil Rights in Miami

Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 2-3pm

South Dade Regional Library, 10750 SW 211 St., Cutler Bay

HistoryMiami in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System presents Museum Forum: Civil Rights in Miami. Hear witness accounts and take part in a fascinating discussion with pioneers from this important period. 

Panelists will include H.T. Smith, Civil Rights Attorney, professor and founding Director of the Trial Advocacy Program at FIU College of Law, Enid Pinkney, founder of the African American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust and Historic Hampton House Community Trust, Garth Reeves, Civil Rights activist and publisher emeritus of The Miami Times, and Thelma Gibson, Civil Rights advocate and founder of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Dade County. Moderated by Bea Hines, Miami Herald columnist.

The Museum Forum Series is presented with the support of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners.

Tropical Beat hosts Florida Caribbean Students Association's 40th Leadership Conference

Tropical Beat hosts Florida Caribbean Students Association's 40th Leadership Conference at Miami Dade College, 

North Campus from April 4 - 6, 2014

 The 2013-2014 academic year marks the 10th anniversary of Tropical Beat, the Caribbean Students Association (Tropical Beat) at Miami Dade College (MDC), North Campus. For a decade, Tropical Beat has served as a medium for uniting, fostering, and developing the next generation of Caribbean leaders. Tropical Beat has the honor of hosting Florida Caribbean Students Association's 40th leadership conference at MDC, North Campus (11380 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, FL 33167) themed “Empowering the Next Generation of Caribbean Leaders” from Friday, April 4th through Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Florida Caribbean Students Association, Inc. (FCSA) provides a statewide platform of leadership development, civic engagement, community service and cultural awareness among college and university students of Caribbean descent throughout the state of Florida. Member schools include: Florida A&M University, Florida State University, University of Florida, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Tampa, Stetson University, Bethune-Cookman University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Atlantic University, St. Leo University, Barry University, Broward College, Nova Southeastern University, Miami Dade College, Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, University of Miami, and other affiliated out of state institutions.

Tropical Beat and FCSA welcome the registration and participation of its alumni for an enriching weekend of networking, leadership development, and cultural programming. For information about the conference, please visit www.tropicalbeat.org.

Tropical Beat is currently featured in the February 2014 Edition of the College Forum, on MDCTV: Meet the Clubs ; and was highlighted along with the Haitian IBO Club by Dr. Eduardo Padron, President of Miami Dade College, as organizations contributing toward a strong hub of activity for Caribbean matters at Miami Dade College, North Campus in his interview with Caribbean Today, on its 25th anniversary.

For more information in regards to registering, becoming a sponsor, or purchasing an ad in the program booklet, please contact Mr. Miguel Murphy at mmurphy3@mdc.edu or 305-237-8371. 

RESPECT Garvey: Economics

Economics

“Now is the chance for every Negro to make every effort toward a commercial, industrial standard that will make us comparable with the successful business men of other races.”  ~ Marcus Garvey.

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

RESPECT Garvey: Purpose

Purpose

“No race or people can well survive without an aim or purpose. We must know beforehand the progress of our existence. Our racial program of today is a united, emancipated and improved people.” ~Marcus Garvey.

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Marcus Garvey: Human Rights Champion @ Carrie P. Meek Center

“On August 13, 1920, Marcus Garvey and the UNIA published the “Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World,” said Professor Geoffrey Philp. “The declaration highlighted basic human rights, which were finally included in the United Nation’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” on December 10, 1948. Garvey and the UNIA were ahead of the world body by twenty-eight years!” 

Join us for these lectures on Marcus Garvey’s visionary movement which championed the human rights of peoples of African descent in North America and the African diaspora worldwide. 

MDC recognizes Black History Month each year with an array of community and educational activities at each of its seven campuses. College administrators believe students, as well as the community at large, should be mindful of the contributions made by Black Americans throughout this country’s history, both past and present.

12:40 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Room 1114, MEEK Center

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Thug Notes: Literary Analysis in Blackface

One of the perennial challenges of teaching literature is finding a way to make the text relevant to students’ interests. As a teacher of introductory courses in British, American, Caribbean, and African literatures, I’ve tried several methods—some successful; some abysmal failures-- to hold my students’ attention. So, I was intrigued when I saw a video series on You Tube, Thug Notes: Classical Literature. Original Gangster.

Thug Notes, “the illest literature show on the web,” has reviewed works such as Beowulf, Moby Dick, Hamlet, Crime and Punishment, and 1984. With the team of Jared Bauer (show creator, co-writer), Joseph Salvaggio (researcher, co-writer), Jacob Salamon (producer, co-illustrator) Greg Edwards (aka Sparky Sweets, PhD.), Thug Notes offers cogent summaries and analyses with a faux hip-hop twist on books that many students find intimidating.

In his introduction to Lolita, Dr. Sweets explains, “I hope y’ll like R. Kelly this week. We be macking on jail bait.” Dr. Sweets also describes Oedipus Rex as a “search for motherf****ing truth.”

But don’t let Dr. Sweets' mugging for the camera, his language, do-rags, and tank tops fool you. Thug Notes’ exegesis of these works of literature is remarkable, and given the medium, the interpretation of Macbeth is one of the best I’ve seen.

What bothers me though is not the distance between the Dr. Sweets’ language and the analysis—which creates a kind of cognitive dissonance—but the character of Dr. Sparky Sweets. And all I can do is ask, “Why?”

Why, when you have a whole range of Black life from which to choose, would you reinforce one of the worst stereotypes of Black men?

Why didn’t the writers, producers, and the actor know the potential damage that they could cause with this racist stereotype? And if they knew, why did they continue?

Black actors and comedians have to walk a fine line between comedy, caricature, and realistic portrayals of black life. Hollywood Shuffle and most recently, Key & Peele’s “Thug English Actor" illustrate the dilemma. Dave Chappelle also faced a similar situation, which led to him leaving his popular comedy show when he felt that a staff member wasn’t laughing with him, but at him.

Thug Notes, as the New York Times reports, is an “example of a trend that has been around for years: the application of street sensibility to high-culture, high-concept areas and, more generally, any place where it’s not expected.”

Too bad they had to use a minstrel in blackface.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

"Justice is what love looks like in public" ~ Cornel West

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning  President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bachata

(For Nadia)

After every party in our house
when the reggae, reggaeton, R&B
have exhausted the younger couples,
and they sit separately to cool down,
I want to dance with you,
the way our friends, Miguel and Ramona,
who have made a promise,
that despite their struggle
with lawyers, bill collectors, and cancer,
they will never leave each other,
and whenever the bachata begins--
we stop to watch how
he will catch her--
she spins out of his arm’s reach
they pass like strangers,
but then his hand
finds the small of her back,
her legs quiver to the old music,
and they are partners in time
with the rhythm, once more.

***

RESPECT Garvey: Self-Reliance

Self-Reliance

“Action, self-reliance, the vision of self and the future have been the only means by which the oppressed have seen and realized the light of their own freedom.” ~Marcus Garvey.

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Locating Caribbean Studies: Miami at the Crossroads of the Americas

***

RESPECT Garvey: Education

Education

"Education is the medium by which a people are prepared for the creation of their own particular civilization, and the advancement and glory of their own race.” ~ Marcus Garvey.

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

"Marcus Garvey" by Johnny Clarke

Them never love, them never love poor Marcus
Dem gi' im, gi im way fe rice and peas


Marcus Garvey is a hero for many African,  African American, and
Caribbean leaders, artists, singers and songwriters..including Johnny Clarke

Yet,sadly, according to the records, Marcus Garvey remains a convicted felon.
 Our goal is to the public restoration/ rehabilitation of the good name/character  of Marcus Garvey.
This is why we are calling on President Barack Obama to EXONERATE Marcus Garvey.

If you would like to join in the online petition to clear the name of a good man, of an innocent man, here is the link:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Dance, sign, and  pass it on:

Museum Forum: Civil Rights in Miami

Museum Forum: Civil Rights in Miami

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

6:00 pm

North Dade Regional Library, 

2455 NW 183 St., Miami Gardens

The Museum Forum is presented by HistoryMiami in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners.  Take part in a fascinating panel discussion with pioneers from this important period.

Panelists:

·         H.T. Smith, Civil Rights Attorney, professor and founding Director of the Trial Advocacy Program at FIU College of Law.

·         Enid Pinkney, founder of the African American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust and Historic Hampton House Community Trust.

·         Garth Reeves, Civil Rights activist and publisher emeritus of The Miami Times.

·         Thelma Gibson, Civil Rights advocate and founder of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Dade County


Moderator:
·         Bea Hines, columnist, Miami Herald


Photo caption: Front page of The Miami Times newspaper, September 3, 1960. HistoryMiami, 78-86-3.

***

After delivering over 10,000+ signatures to Frederica S. Wilson, the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is now focusing on the White House: http://links.causes.com/s/clOoxG?r=bOje

.

Please sign and share with your family, friends, and contacts: http://links.causes.com/s/clOoxG?r=bOje

One Love,

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey

RESPECT Garvey

RESPECT Garvey: Redemption

Redemption

“Marcus Garvey has entered the fight for the redemption of a country. From the graves of millions of my forebears at this hour I hear the cry, and I am going to answer it even though hell is cut loose before Marcus Garvey. From the silent graves of millions who went down to make me what I am, I shall make for their memory, this fight that shall leave a glaring page in the history of man," ~ Marcus Garvey

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

RESPECT Garvey

RESPECT

“A race without authority and power, is a race without respect.” 
~ Marcus Garvey

Garvey, Amy J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Thank you for your support.

Petition to exonerate Marcus Garvey moves to the White House

After delivering over 11,000 signatures to Representative Frederica S. Wilson’s office, the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is now petitioning President Barack Obama (https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey).  As part of their renewed strategy, Professor Geoffrey Philp will be delivering a series of lectures during Black History Month, “Marcus Garvey: Human Rights Champion.”

“President Obama is an inheritor of the rich human rights legacy that was initiated by Marcus Garvey and the UNIA on August 13, 1920, with the ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World,’” said Professor Philp. “The declaration highlighted basic human rights, which were finally included in the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights until December 10, 1948. Garvey and the UNIA were ahead of the world body by twenty-eight years!”

The kickoff for the lecture series will be on Tuesday, February 18, 2014, at the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Center, Miami, Florida, at 12:40 p.m. in Room 1114. The lecture will culminate in a call to action for the exoneration of the Right Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey:

https://www.causes.com/campaigns/71936-urge-president-obama-to-exonerate-marcus-garvey

Join us for a lecture on the Marcus Garvey’s visionary movement which championed the human rights of peoples of African descent in North America and the African diaspora worldwide.

About the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is a group of activists with members from the Caribbean, North America, and the United Kingdom. Their goal is the public restoration and rehabilitation of the good name and character of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

***