DR Julius Garvey on Saturday charged the capital city’s local government representatives to uphold the standards of service, integrity, justice, and fairness that defined the legacy of his late father Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first national hero.

Dr Garvey made the request at a ceremony during which the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) council chamber was named in honour of the national hero who served the city as a councillor in the early 1900s.

Garvey, who was born in St Ann, gained worldwide acclaim as a Pan-Africanist. In 1914 he founded Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica, but it had greater influence in the northern, urban, black neighbourhoods of the United States after his arrival in Harlem, New York, in 1916.

Reflecting on his father’s life, Dr Garvey said that one of the most important things about his character was his commitment to not just himself, but to his people.

“He [was] the perfect example of server leadership, and I think that is what I would like to see in this chamber. If you are honouring Marcus Garvey it must be about the service that you are going to do for your communities and for the city of Kingston and St Andrew — because we bear a heavy responsibility,” Dr Garvey told guests at the ceremony held on the 137th anniversary of his father’s birth.

He said that his father stood for excellence in all forms of his life as seen in his writings in terms of historical accuracy and understanding, and how he communicated with his people, and this same level of excellence was expected from members of the KSAMC.

“This is of extreme importance because that excellence resonates around the world, and it will resonate not just in terms of Jamaica. If you uplift Kingston and St Andrew appropriately, in terms of governance and the things that you do for its people, it will resonate internationally and we can link ourselves with cities across the world,” said Dr Garvey.

“You bear a heavy burden to carry the name of Marcus Garvey into the future in terms of your deliberations and what you do for our people — the people of Kingston and the people of Jamaica,” he stressed.

Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby, in his remarks, shared that Marcus Garvey was elected councillor for the Allman Town Division in the Local Government Elections in October 1929 and October 1931, and the decision to name the chamber in his honour is one that celebrates his many contributions.

Among those contributions are his resolution to have male labourers employed at the KSAMC paid a minimum wage of not less than four shillings per day, and that all female labourers be paid at a minimum of not less than 2 and 6 pence per day. According to the minutes of the KSAMC, he championed that “the minimum shall not affect paying the said labourers by merit at rates above the minimum and that representation be made to the Legislative Council to increase the estimate accordingly”.

Additionally, Garvey is said to have advocated eight-hour workdays for all employees, labourers, and workers of the then Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC), among other things.

Swaby said that Marcus Garvey’s service was characterised by fierce advocacy for the rights of the marginalised, and visionary leadership in the face of overwhelming adversity.

“His work in this very municipal corporation was marked by a steadfast belief that the upliftment of the people was not just a matter of charity, but a moral, political imperative,” said the mayor.

He noted that the naming of the chamber was not just to honour Marcus Garvey’s memory, but to remind individuals of the relevance of his teachings which “are living, breathing ideals that have the power to transform our society”.

“As leaders we must strive to embody the principles he stood for — integrity, courage, and unshakable commitment to the welfare of our people. We must be vigilant in ensuring that the policies we enact, the programmes we support, and the decisions we make are all aligned with the vision of empowerment and equality that Garvey so fiercely advocated,” said Swaby.

He charged his fellow council members to commit themselves to living the principles of the national hero and let the chamber be a place where decisions are made to uplift the people of Jamaica.

“Let it be a place where the spirit of Marcus Garvey lives on, inspiring us to continue the work he started — to build a Jamaica that is strong, self-reliant, and proud of its heritage,” said Swaby.

“Let it remind us, every time we step through its doors, of the responsibility we bear to continue the work of building a Jamaica that honours its past, embraces its present, and boldly shapes its future,” he said.

Steven Golding, current UNIA president and son of former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding, welcomed the naming of the chamber in honour of Garvey, saying it is a “great load to carry” and a pledge that members will always put the people of Jamaica forward.

Joining the celebrations, Heru Ishakamusa Menelik, president of Marcus Garvey People’s Political Party, said he was empowered to hear that the KSAMC intends to embrace the philosophy and opinions of the national hero, and charged the council to carry out Garvey’s hope of a self-reliant nation.

“We need to look to that we can feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, and shelter ourselves,” said Menelik.

Renowned Garvey scholar and The University of the West Indies lecturer Professor Rupert Lewis welcomed the decision to rename the chamber in honour of Garvey. He said the decision is merited because Garvey was engaged in the nuts and bolts of governance at the municipal level, in touch with his constituents, and represented their interests well.

Historians say that by 1920 UNIA claimed four million members. The movement transformed Garvey into an inspirational figure for other civil rights advocates, especially in the United States.

Garvey died in London in 1940. In 1964 his remains were exhumed, taken to Jamaica, and reinterred at the then King George VI Memorial Park, now National Heroes’ Park in Kingston.

In 1969 the Jamaican Government posthumously conferred on him the Order of National Hero.

From left: Eugene Kelly, councillor, Whitfield Town Division; Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby; Dr Julius Garvey, son of Jamaican National Hero Marcus Garvey; Tosha Schwapp, councillor, Stony Hill Divison; and Deputy Mayor Delroy Williams are seen at the entrance to the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation council chamber on Saturday after it was named in honour of Marcus Garvey.