excerpts from the book...
The Philosophy & Opinions Of Marcus Garvey
Or, Africa for the Africans
Compiled by Amy Jacques Garvey
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History is the land-mark by which we are directed into the true course of life.
What you do to-day that is worthwhile, inspires others to act at some future time.
This is the day of racial activity, when each and every group of this great human family must
exercise its own initiative and influence in its own protection, therefore, Negroes should be
more determined to-day than they have ever been, because the mighty forces of the world are
operating against non-organized groups of peoples, who are not ambitious enough to protect
their own interests.
Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa! Let us work towards the one glorious end of a free,
redeemed and mighty nation. Let Africa be a bright star among the constellation of nations.
The political readjustment of the world means that those who are not sufficiently able, not
sufficiently prepared, will be at the mercy of the organized classes for another one or two
hundred years.
Every student of Political Science, every student of Economics knows, that the race can only be
saved through a solid industrial foundation. That the race can only be saved through political
independence. Take away industry from a race; take away political freedom from a race, and
you have a group of slaves.
Government is not infallible. Government is only an executive control, a centralized authority
for the purpose of expressing the will of the people.
Before you have a government you must have the people. Without the people there can be no
government. The government must be, therefore, an expression of the will of the people.
Confidence, conviction, action will cause us to be free men to-day.
The God of Isaac and the God of Jacob let Him exist for the race that believes in the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob. We Negroes believe in the God of Ethiopia, the everlasting God - God the
Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, the One God of all ages. That is the God in whom
we believe, but we shall worship Him through the spectacles of Ethiopia.
...And the faith that we have is a faith that will utimately take us back to the ancient place, that
ancient position that we once occupied, when Ethiopia was in her glory.
...But with the Almighty Power of God and with the guidance and mercy of our Blessed Lord we
feel that one day Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hand, and whether it be at the second coming
or before, we shall all sing our Hosannas, shout our praises to God for freedom, for liberty, for
life.
There has never been a Movement where the Leader has not suffered for the Cause, and not
received the ingratitude of the people. I, like the rest, am prepared for the consequence.
God acts indifferently and His plan and purpose is generally worked out through the agency of
human action. In His directed, inspired prophecy He promised that Ethiopia's day would come,
not by the world changing towards us, but by our stretching out our hands unto Him.
Do not falter or faint by the wayside, but let us, with confidence in ourselves and our God go
forth in the call for service to our race and to Ethiopia.
God and Nature first made us what we are, and then out of our own creative genius we make
ourselves what we want to be. Follow always that great law. Let the sky and God be our limit ,
and Eternity our measurement. There is no height to which we cannot climb by using the
active intelligence of our own minds. Mind creates, and as much as we desire in Nature we can
have through the creation of our own minds. Being at present the scientifically weaker race,
you shall treat others only as they treat you; but in your homes and everywhere possible you
must teach the higher development of science to your children; and be sure to develop a race of
scientists par excellence for in science and religion lie our only hope to withstand the evil
designs of modern materialism. Never forget your God. Remember, we live, work and pray for
the establishment of a great and binding racial hierarchy, the founding of a racial empire whose
only natural, spiritual and political limits shall be God and "Africa, at home and abroad."
Let us work and pray for the hastening of the day when "Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands
unto God" and our race be lifted from the mire of prejudice and injustice to the realm of
freedom and true liberty.
With very best wishes, I have the honor to be,
Your obediant servant
MARCUS GARVEY
President-General
Univeral Negro Improvement Association.
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