Carter G Woodson is also referred to as the father of black history. It was his events, the first of which was held in 1924, which eventually grew into Black History Month. He was so committed that in spite of setbacks such as not having the resources to hold an event in 1925 and the NAACP (National Associations for the Advancement of Coloured People) trying to get him to be less radical, he fought against them and gathered the resources to hold an event in 1926. This became the first of the annual events that have continued now for almost a century.
Maluana Karenga devised what became known as the definitive black studies programme. He also created the Nguzo Saba (7 principles) which have been used by organisations around the world. There are many organisations who name themselves after one or more of these principles such as community groups called Nia (purpose) or Umoja (unity) arts groups called Kuumba (creativity) faith groups called Imani (faith). Karenga also devised Kwanzaa which is known colloquially as the black Christmas. An event celebrated around Christmas time and based around the Nguzo Saba.
Marcus Garvey is one of a few revered leaders who were given the title Father of Pan Africanism. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in the early part of the C20. By the 1920s it was estimated to have almost 2,000 branches in approximately 50 different countries. Garvey has been cited as a major influence on major political figures such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. When Carter G Woodson parted company with the NAACP, refusing to tone down his act, he joined the UNIA to continue his work. Malcolm X’s parents were both Garveyites. Garvey is also known as a prophet. His prophecy “Look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned for the day of deliverance is near!” was held to have come true when the Ras Tafari of Ethiopia was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie years later. This gave birth to a new Africanist religion Rastafari. It has to be said Garvey was also very critical of Selassie.
Queen Nzinga Mbande a C16 member of the royal family in what is today Angola. Nzinga rose to power in order to combat the Portuguese, one of the first strategic European incursions into Africa with a view to colonise and enslave. She pledged to do what the male members of her household could not. She fought many wars with the Portuguese and had many successes showing both great military and political prowess. She helped to free slaves who flocked to join her forces. However, in later years she developed relationships with the Dutch which involved the exchange of slaves. It has to be understood that slavery existed in Africa but generally as a punishment for captives in war or criminals and although they were slaves, they weren’t chattel and had rights. It was only in later years that African leaders learned of what happened to those slaves sold to Europeans and many became remorseful, with countries such as Ghana and Ethiopia offering land and other resources to help people return to Africa.
Harriet Tubman, who bore the nickname Moses, was responsible for liberating well over 100 slaves, either personally or through advice and guidance, from plantations in North America. She made many journeys between plantations in the Southern states to safe places in the Northern states and Canada. She would make these long journeys alone, helped by various people along the way on what was known as the underground railroad, a collection of safe houses and hideouts leading away from the plantations. Tubman achieved this in spite of suffering for most of her life from dizziness and crippling headaches brought on by a head injury received from an overseer when she was a slave.
Malcolm X much is known about Malcolm X but the main reason for including him is his names. Many of us are afraid to change, afraid to admit that we were wrong and take a new path. His names reflect his journey to consciousness which is a journey many of us endure.
He started life as Malcolm Little. Both of his parents were members of Garvey’s UNIA. His father was killed when he was a child and his mother institutionalised in later life. Malcolm became involved in gangs and adopted the street name of Detroit Red. In prison he was introduced to the Nation of Islam and became Malcolm X in the tradition of the organisation, not using/rejecting their family name. He went deeper into Islam and took the name Malik El-Shabazz. Following a visit to Mecca he became El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He later became disillusioned with the Nation of Islam feeling restricted by their practices, organisation and leadership. He visited Africa and met with leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah. He attended the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and founded the Organisation of African American Unity (OAAU). In Africa he was given the name Omowale (the son has come home). It was at a meeting of the OAAU that he was shot.
The final person image (at the bottom right of the illustration) represents anyone who is wearing their hair in locks, not ashamed of who they are and how they look. This is possible due to activists who not only challenged European supremacy and racism but helped us to develop a sense of identity and confidence without worrying about fitting in.
The flags used in the illustration are from:
Ghana – the first of the countries to gain independence at the start of the 40-year wars of independence, led by Kwame Nkrumah another father of Pan Africanism and one of the countries at the forefront of helping people to repatriate. Their flag became a symbol of Pan Africanism.
Mali – one of Africa’s greatest empires that influenced nations around the world, it grew out of ancient Ghana and developed systems such as monetarism that we use today and was home to one of the worlds earliest universities at Timbuktu.
Text by Senior Lecturer David Knight (School of Arts and Media)
