Garvey tribute

On Sunday, a celebration will be held paying tribute to Jamaican-born black nationalist Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

Chairman of the Pan African Coalition of Organisations, Onkphra Wells, highlighted the packed schedule for the four-hour event, including solidarity messages from the Cuban and Venezuelan Ambassadors, MP Trevor Prescod and from representatives from the African Heritage Foundation and the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration.

Lecturer in History at the University of the West Indies, Dr. Rodney Worrell, is expected also to outline Garvey’s visit to Barbados and his influence on forging the progressive movement of ideas and philosophy for the development of this island.

“History will always give a special embodiment of a human being to champion the causes of the oppressed. Marcus Garvey came at that time before the World War (Two) when Africans globally were experiencing severe racism internationally and he was able to build through his UNIA – Universal Negro Improvement Association movement over a million people belonging to such an organisation. He worked in the political, economic, spiritual, social, security and defence areas and we will be paying tribute to such a giant on Sunday,” Wells stated.

Also on the cards for the event is an ‘Edu-tainment’ session with appearances scheduled from Ambassador Anthony ‘Gabby’ Carter, Winston Farrell, Adrian Green, Lisa Griffith and several others.

Pan African Awards are to be presented to several recipients including: Principal of the St. George Secondary School Dennis Browne, and event co-ordinator Shelly Small, and granted posthumously to Ras Iral Jabari and Val Barnett, while a special award will be given to Cuba for its medical contribution internationally.

Saying these were the first awards of this kind, Wells told the media yesterday of his intention to grow the event towards national recognition “paying tribute to those who have worked and offered their lives to the betterment of the African nation within and outside of Barbados”.   

Meanwhile, the Marcus Garvey award will be presented to businessman Mohammed Nassar.

The event, which will be held at the Israel Lovell Foundation, begins at 4 p.m. (JMB)