The time is nearing when Pan-Afrikanists remember the birth (August 17, 1887) of the pioneer from St. Anns, Jamaica. What aspects about Marcus' mission can be utilised today? What has made him stand out as he did? Are there any of his philosphies that have impacted in your life and do you disagree with anything he said or did? Let's hear.
For me the question is what aspects about Marcus' mission
can't be used...He stood out because he had the answer. Pan-Africanism. All of his philosophies impacted my(our) life. Marcus is a political father to me(and all other Pan-Africanists). The only thing I disagree with is the name calling back and forth between him and W.E.B. Dubois. In fighting is never good. But the result was Dubois' eventual "conversion" to Marcus' nationalist ideology, so maybe it was necessary.
NEGROES' STATUS UNDER ALIEN GOVERNMENTS
Within modern times the Negro race has not had any real statesmen, and the masses of our people have always accepted the intentions and actions of the statesmen and leaders of other races as being directed in our interest as a group in conjunction with the interests of others. Such a feeling on our part caused us to believe that the Constitution of the United States was written for Negroes, as well as the Constitutions of England, France, Italy, Germany and other countries where Negroes happen to have their present domicile, either as citizens or as subjects. That we suffer so much today under whatsoever flag we live is proof positive that constitutions and laws, when framed by the early advocates of human liberty, never included and were never intended for us as a people. It is only a question of sheer accident that we happen to be fellow citizens today with the decendants of those who, through their advocacy, laid the foundation for human rights. So this brings us to the point where, as a people, we can expect very little from the efforts of present day statesmen of other races, in that their plans, (as far as advantages to be derived therefrom are concerned) are laid only in the interests of their own people and not in the interest of Negroes; hence it is imperative that Negroes as a people evolve just at this time a statesmanship sufficiently able to cope with the designs and movements that are being made that will (except we prevent it) ultimately mean our doom and destruction.