The Majority Press MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE: The Course of Afri­ can Philosophy TONY MARTIN is professor and chairman of Black Stud­ ies at Wellesley College, Massachusetts. He did his M.A. and Ph.D. in history at Michigan State University and the B.Sc. in economics at the University of Hull, England. In 1965 he qualified as a barrister-at-law at Gray’s Inn, London. He has taught at the University of Michigan-Flint, the Cipriani Labour College (Trinidad) and St. Mary’s College (Trinidad). He has been visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, Brandeis Uni­ versity and The Colorado College. He has authored and edited several books, including Literary Garve,y ism: Gar­ vey, Black Arts and the Harlem Renaissance The Pan- African Connection, Marcus Garvey, Hero and Race First: the Ideological and Organizational Struggles of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. THE NEW MARCUS GARVEY LIBRARY A Series of Original Works by TONY MARTIN No. 1. Literary Garveyism: Garvey, Black Arts and the Harlem Renaissance No. 2. The Poetical Works of Marcus Garvey No. 3. Marcus Garvey, Hero: A First Biography No. 4. Amy Ashwood Garvey: Pan-Africanist, Feminist and Wife No. 1 No. 5. African Fundamentalism: A Literary Anthology of the Garvey Movement (forthcoming) No. 6. The Pan-African Connection: From Slavery to Garvey and Beyond No. 7. Message to the People: The Course of African Philosophy (By Marcus Garvey. Ed. by Tony Martin) No. 8. Race First: The Ideological and Organizational Struggles of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association No. 9. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey (Ed. by Amy Jacques Garvey. Preface by Tony Martin) MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE The Course of African Philosophy MARCUS GARVEY Edited by TONY MARTIN With a Foreword by Hon. CHARLES L. JAMES President-General, Universal Negro Improvement Association The New Marcus Garvey Library No. 7 TM THE MAJORITY PRESS Dover, Massachusetts i PRESS Copyright © 1986 by Charles L. James Preface Copyright © 1986 by Tony Martin All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Garvey, Marcus, 1887-1940. Message to the people. (The New Marcus Garvey library; no. 7) Includes index. 1. Afro-Americans—Race identity—Handbooks, man­ uals, etc. 2. Afro-Americans—Education—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Self-improvement—Handbooks, man­ uals, etc. 4. Universal Negro Improvement Association. I. Martin, Tony, 1942- . II. Title. III. Series: Martin, Tony, 1942- . New Marcus Garvey library; no. 7 E185.625.G37 1986 305.8’96073 85-30926 ISBN 0-912469-18-8 ISBN 0-912469-19-6 (pbk.) First published in 1986, simultaneously in hardbound and paperback volumes. 10 The Majority Press P.O. Box 538 Dover, Massachusetts 02030 Printed in the United States of America Contents Foreword ix Preface xiv 1 Intelligence, Education, Universal Knowledge and How to Get It 1 2 Leadership 19 3 Aims and Objects of the U.N.I.A. 27 4 Elocution 38 5 God 45 6 Christ 50 7 Character 60 8 The Social System 69 9 Diplomacy 75 10 Economy 83 11 Man 92 12 The Purpose of Institutions 100 13 The Universe 108 14 Self-Initiative 113 15 Personality 118 16 Propaganda 126 17 Communism 134 18 Commercial and Industrial Transactions 139 19 Winning Mankind by Kindness 151 20 Living for Something 154 21 History of the U.N.I.A. 163 22 The Five-Year Plan of the U.N.I.A. 190 Notes 205 Index 206 y, h p o os hil P n Africa of ol o h Sc he t of es at u d a Gr