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Marcus Garvey’s Jamaica

An introduction to the lesson on Marcus Garvey. Here we explore the cultural and social background to his work.
Over the next three steps we ask you to take on the role of the educator again. You will hear Lawrence’s poem ‘Father Garvey’ and consider the ways in which you could use the poem to teach your students about the accomplishments of Marcus Garvey.

Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in 1887 in St. Anne’s Bay, Jamaica.

Garvey’s great grandfather was born into enslavement in Jamaica, the legacy of this is clear from the family’s Irish surname forced upon them by their former enslavers. In 1871 Jamaica had a population of 506,154 people. They were recorded as “13,101 white, 100,346 ‘coloured’ (mixed black and white), and 392,707 black”.

The native and African population of Jamaica were granted the right to vote after the abolition of slavery, however white European members of Jamaica continued to control the island and have majority of political power even though they were the minority.

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Practical Skills for Teaching Inclusive History: CARGO Classroom

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