Garveyism in ‘Mainstream’ TV and Film: Hollywood Style

Afrikan souls throughout the world have worked diligently to communicate positive images of the supreme visionary Marcus Garvey and the Garvey Movement through the mainstream TV and film. Obviously it is an arena fraught with traps as its function, governance and jurisdiction lies largely in the hands of alien forces. Even so, forthright efforts have been made on the part of Afrikan souls who have utilised various mainstream platforms to eek out a living for themselves to bring a level of Afrikan dignity to the screen. The full extent of the behind-the-scenes battles that have taken place, sacrifices made and challenges overcome on the part of the many Afrikan writers, producers, actors, directors and so on may never become widely known. Nonetheless, amidst the dire lack of integrity-filled Afrikan self-owned, self-governed and expressive of self-knowingness mass media vehicles these progressive souls have managed bring some positive imagery of great Marcus Garvey and the Garvey Movement to tv and film no matter how brief according to any imposed constraints.  Here, detailed are just a few examples.

In the film Antwone Fisher, the character Jerome Davenport has the following dialogue with Antwone:

Davenport: A small gift for you

Antwone: Okay, the Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Thank you, Sir.

Davenport: You’re welcome.

In the short film from the America’s Dream series entitled: The Boy Who Painted Christ Black, the artistically talented young Afrikan  boy Aaron paints an ‘amazing’ picture of what he sees as Christ.  When asked about how he came to paint the image he says:

“Well, you see my Uncle Skeezy, he’s a Garveyite and when he came last Christmas, he told me all about Black folks in history…Well he said that Black folks were once the most powerful people on Earth….So I asked him about Christ if maybe he was Black…Then, all of a sudden, I knew…that he had to be a Black man…Cause, everyone said he was so kind, kind-er than I’ve seen any white people be. So, when I painted this picture I couldn’t help but paint Christ Black ‘cause that’s what made sense to me”.  

Sometimes it may not be possible to have explicit scripted dialogue referencing Garvey present in a production. Yet still, Afrikan souls find a way to get the image of this great hero out to the Afrikan world community. For example, in the Cosby Show as early as the ‘A Shirt Story’ episode of the first series in which the ills of alien designer wear peddled amongst young Afrikan people are highlighted, a picture of Garvey can be seen hanging on the wall in the room of the child character Denise.  The image appears in a number of episodes as well as other symbolic reference to Garveyism at various points throughout the run of the show.

Amongst all the negative or compromising scripts, postures, dialogues and inferences that come along with alien-governed mainstream media, many Afrikan souls work as best as it possible to do to get wholesome information to the wider Afrikan populous. Necessarily, Afrikan souls realise that ultimately, it is independent, self-governed Afrikan owned media with substance of self-knowing that will provide the powerful, authentic images for total Afrikan empowerment and elevation. Of course, the alien forces of anti-Afrikan agency also recognise this and the attacks upon Afrikan lives to malign, discredit, mistreat or levy injustice upon Afrikan souls who have become mainstream media personalities that attempt to elevate the Afrikan world community or who move to establish Afrikan independent media that can reach the Afrikan multitudes is unleashed. At the same time, those unfortunate Afrikan souls who have been coerced outside of themselves to carry out a thorough and total job of destruction upon their own people on behalf of their so-called ‘masters’ are well resourced and seemingly given carte blanche to destroy any positive Afrikan image and life in their wake. The independently produced documentary film Classified X provides insightful analysis on the film making industry within the U.S.

Marcus Garvey understood the power of image as he prophetically articulated this in the upper part of the so-called 20th century:

“[The Garvey Movement] is now calling upon the 400,000,000 members of our race to discard the psychology and propaganda of all other peoples and to advance our own”.      

The observance of Musa Msimu takes place during the month of so-called August and is a wonderful time to celebrate the mighty example of Marcus Garvey and the Movement that he created led in order for future generations of Afrikans to have their guide for complete freedom and nationhood. Musa Msimu is a part of the Afrikan Cultural calendar of the Universal Royal Afrikan Nation (URAN).

The Universal Royal Afrikan Nation (URAN) is an Afrikan-centred spiritual and cultural mission for ascendancy that embodies living spiritually and culturally rooted life. To find out more about URAN and its spiritual-cultural mission for liberty and nationhood click here. The exquisite URAN pendant can be obtained online by clicking here.

The important book entitled: From Musa to Afrikan Fundamentalism – The Afrikan Spiritual Essence of Marcus Garvey is available to purchase online here. The book trailer can be accessed by clicking here.

In his capacity as an Afrikan-centred spiritual cultural practitioner this author is available for further learning in this regard and also for the carrying out of ceremonies such as naming and name reclamation. For details please click here.

Afrikan World Studies programmes are important forms of study in understanding the Afrikan experience. There are a range of subjects covered on these programmes including History, Creative Production, Psychology and Religion. To find out more about these learning programmes please click here. For the video promo for these learning programmes click here.

At nominal cost, also consider acquisition of an a4 laminate poster of articulations by this author when visiting the Yemanja institution to enrol, consult, learn, gather or otherwise.

Also, visit www.u-ran.org for links to Afrikan liberation Love radio programme on Universal Royal Afrikan Radio online.