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Continued from page 35 – Marcus Garvey’s Liberian
Dream Deferred
The bill, finally named “The Greater Liberian bill
expanded Bilbo’s previous proposals. It authorized
negotiations with European powers for the cession of
West African lands, in addition to whatever lands
Liberia might provide. The American military would
govern the cession for up to two years, setting up a civil
administration that could then govern for up to four
more years. The territory would then gain 'complete
autonomy' as a commonwealth of the U.S, but the bill
maintained for U.S. officials the option of either
seeking inclusion for the commonwealth in the state of
Liberia or granting it full independence." [16]
The Greater Liberian bill also stipulated that
“Americans between twenty-one and fifty could seek
removal, but only those eligible for Liberian
citizenship, that is, those of African decent. Settlers
would receive land grants of fifty acres and grants-inaid
until their farms or businesses were self-sustaining.
The bill set a one billion dollar initial maximum for
federal expenditures. More could be appropriated, and
Bilbo eventually envisioned a commitment of fifteen to
twenty billion dollars over the next forty years.” [17]
The threat of an outbreak of a second world war
(WW11) soon diverted the attention of politicians from
the proposed bill. According to Michael Fitzgerald, “
The UNIA leaders had always been calculating in their
approach to repatriation, so they took the defeat of the
Liberia bill with relative stoicism. James R. Steward,
Marcus Garvey’s successor as the head of UNIA,
actually admitted the international situation foreclosed
the venture. Moreover, Garvey’s death in June 1940
removed a spokesman for the measure and diverted the
organization to internal power struggle.” [18]
In the end, Marcus Garvey never did set foot on
Liberian soil himself, but his wife Amy did, in 1946.
She also travelled to Sierra Leone where she visited the
grave of Dr. Wilmot Blyden and met his family. Some
of Marcus Garvey’s followers took on the endeavour
themselves and travelled to Liberia, where they settled
and contributed in their individual ways to the
development of the country.
Marcus Garvey has since influenced many movements,
including the Nation of Islam; the “Black Power
Movement” of the late 1960s and early 1970s that
propagated black pride and the acknowledgement Black
Americans’ African ancestry; and the Rastafarian
Movement that evolved in Jamaica and produced
Reggae music. He has also inspired political leaders in
Africa and the Caribbean in their struggle for independ-
ence against colonialism and apartheid. Marcus Garvey
did not live to see his dreams fulfilled but his influence,
however, is still dynamic.
Footnotes
[1] Charlotte Phillips Fein, “Section C: Marcus Garvey: His
Opinion About Africa,” The Journal of Negro Education,
Vol.33, No.4, (Autumn, 1964), pp. 446-449.
[2] Ben F. Rogers, “William E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, and
Pan-Africa,” The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 40, No.2.
(April, 1955) pp. 154-165.
[3] John L Graves, “The Social Ideas of Marcus Garvey,”
Current Trends in Negro Education and Shorter Papers, The
Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 31, No.1. (Winter, 1962), p.
65-74.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ben F. Rogers.
[6] Charlotte Phillips Fein.
[7] Ben F. Rogers.
[8] Tony Martin, “The International Aspect of The Garvey
Movement,” Afro-American Red Star, Washington D.C.:
February 20, 1993. Vol. 101, Iss 26, p. A6.
[9] Ben F. Rogers
[10] Michael W. Fitzgerald, “We Have Found a Moses:
Theodore Bilbo, Black Nationalism, and the Greater Liberia
Bill of 1939”, The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 63, No. 2.
(May, 1997), pp. 293-320.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
Bibliography
Charlotte Phillips Fein, “Section C: Marcus Garvey: His
Opinions About Africa,” The Journal of Negro Education,
Vol.33, No.4. (Autumn, 1964), pp, 446-449.
Continued on page 37
-36- Traditional African Clinic August 2012