In life Marcus Garvey was controversial, and in death he continues to impact our nation in small, useful ways — teachable moments. He was no angel; most of our heroes were criminals — outlawed, jailed, hanged. When will we pardon those convicted here? So why should the USA pardon the one convicted there?

Garvey should have been a Nobel laureate by his philosophical eminence and global execution, yet 60-plus black nations have not lauded him as one. He defied eugenics to emancipate Africa and its diaspora from mental slavery (a work in progress) and his message reverberates across time. Jamaica lobbied South Africa to freedom and had the UN build a monument to New World slavery, so Prime Minister Andrew Holness should rouse black nations to have the UN approve a Marcus Garvey Day or a memorial.

Leaders have sold Garvey short — they only see politics. Yes, he was political, but he is our first and only big, black, capitalist entrepreneur — shipping, making consumer goods, transnational publisher and vintner. He floated the largest stock offer (in over 20 countries) and should be fully taught in our business schools; the most visionary black businessman ever. Will Harvard adopt him? Where are the Garvey MBAs?

Garvey is pigeon-holed in politics, yet his philosophy is of economic empowerment. Unless you produce what the white man has produced, you cannot be his equal. With negritude as its engine, executed on global scale is unprecedented; start big businesses via pooled resources (shares) to displace Rockefeller and seed African liberation. It has been generations yet we see the true Garvey darkly and growth of “5 in 4” is a blip to his vision. Black pride was the means, economic power his end.

The statue issue is small. Some artists say, “It’s art and I am the authority,” but every contract has two parties — one has cash, artist wants it, so a contract by The UWI must assure desired outcomes. Few workers, including those in the arts, are creative, original, and innovative; so sole-source is iffy. Martin Luther King Jr told us to sweep floors like Picasso; we are creative as we excel at our work.

So what’s the agreed outcome — realism (a photo likeness), abstract as Kandinsky, Watson’s own personal take, Banksy’s graffiti, or Dali’s surrealism? To sculpt in three dimensions from one photo (two dimensions) is fraught. How is his “head back” shaped and crucially his aura? Ras Dizzy shadowed my boss for a week to capture his form and ‘spirit’ for a lignum vitae bust. The Medici and Vatican commissioned realism, but expected flattery or artists were booted. In the rogues’ gallery at The UWI HQ a Chancellor is smooth-faced and handsome — unreal, but assures the next contract? My lady friend tore up two sets of passport photos before one suited her. Men take the first set. We all suspend disbelief for a greater good and public art must inspire, “Bwoy, yuh see ‘ow Garvey powaful, a fi mi man dat!” So who might we blame?

Our serial Cabinets are not guiltless. Art for the masses is tricky as illiteracy, miseducation is rife, and sensibility not in curricula, so degreed people are artistic novices. Ask about a play or painting and you get “nice, nice”; no vocabulary for a smart comment as they dissed Friday music, drama, elocution class — it made Madge Sinclair a Hollywood star. We need community art backed by firms. Check murals round town, some done by area youth; we must master their unique style to di worl!

At the time Benin thrived the Pope was discouraging sculpture for fear of the rise of idolatry. Today, obtuse evangelicals say sculpture is idolatry so our heritage in the Luba, Dogon, Hemba, Asante, Igbo, Chokwe, and Queen Mother Idia is lost to them? Is the real issue artistic DNA — Africa vs Europe? Old African sculpture feature distended bellies, short legs, elongated trunks, and distorted faces. In this timeline Africa revered/feared corpses, while Europe’s artists dissected them; measured skull, skeleton, joints; calculated ratios and copied the body — realistic in proportion and symmetry. Rejecting the Garvey statue confirms Europe as our artistic home. Europe’s statuary (and ours) is flattering — obese is rendered as portly, the portly athletic and the athletic androgynous; we love “pretty, pretty!”

Context, aura, symbolism are crucial in public art. A statue on a dais causes us to look up to the subject; men are sinewy; props as books, tools, weapons; a lion is naked power. Jamaica, striving to grow needs colossal statuary — Garvey regnant on the deck of a Black Star liner or share certificates in hand astride the globe in Heroes’ Park. We need a business hero now! So we have one, but our culture uplifts politics and diss business. Garvey’s economic vision was a threat to white capitalist America; a black shipping magnate, global trader, control of Africa’s resources, office on Wall Street — lock him up!

Artists are narcissists — occupational hazard. Some think public art is about them. But works must evoke patriotic joy, sorrow; creative crescendo. Communist states are good at it — long live! Perky breasts, robust penis commend Emancipation Park art to our masses. No subtlety in sculpture to flatter is to win!

The UWI is courageous; a noble deed ahead of its time? Watson may take comfort in Michelangelo — sculptor, painter, architect, poet whose first sculpture in Rome was rejected by Cardinal Raffaele; yet afterwards he did the statue of David, Pope’s tomb and Sistine Chapel. In public art “the voice of the people is the voice of God”! Yet one day we may appreciate the recused sculpture. Stay conscious!

Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.