The Marcus Garvey Groundings, the Black History Month cultural celebration of Jamaica’s National Hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey and the country’s reggae music, which is presented by the Consulate General of Jamaica, Miami, will have its 5th annual event at the Island Space Museum on Wednesday, February 25, from 6 – 9 pm, in commemoration of Garvey’s only visit to South Florida in 1921.

Garvey, 105 years ago, arrived by train in Miami and paid his only visit to South Florida from February 25-28, 1921, holding a two-day lecture series in Kery West to promote the shipping company Black Starline before sailing for Cuba.

The shipping company was set up by Garvey and associates by 1919 under the auspices of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which by then had grown to include more than four million members.

He was the founder and first President-General of the UNIA and African Communities League and shortly after the acquisition of the Black Star Line, the company began its “African Redemption” Liberia programme, with the idea of establishing a nation on the west coast of Africa for Black Americans who were born into slavery or who were the descendants of enslaved people.

Steven Golding

President of the UNIA and African Communities League, Steven Golding, the keynote speaker for the event, will again highlight Garvey’s advocacy of black pride, worth and self-sufficiency and will continue to lobby for February 25 to be decreed as South Florida Garvey Day.

This year’s event combines the Garvey and Reggae Month celebration with the Consul General’s lecture series. “It’s the consulate’s way of celebrating Black History and Reggae Month,” said Mair who added that “we know the significance Garvey has played for Jamaica, the diaspora and people of colour around the world. We are ensuring that the world will not forget about Garvey”.

Consul General Oliver Mair

Given Garvey’s stance on self-reliance, Chief Executive Officer of the Cannabis Licensing Authority Jamaica, Farrah Blake, will be one of the main presenters at the event. Commenting on the combined cultural celebration and the lecture series with its particular focus on investment opportunities, she believes that they’re ideally complimentary.

“The marriage is apt and in the 196 licences granted over the last 10 years, 51 per cent of the directorship of the licensed businesses must be owned by Jamaicans,” said Blake.

Farrah Blake

“We are locally-driven and our medical cannabis industry merges herb with healing – as we have always seen it. Cannabis is synonymous with Jamaica and its music – and there’s synergy as well with the teaching of Garvey to fend for ourselves,” she added.

The event will also headline the Visions Band and the Tallawah Mento Band.

According to Mair, “the event sustains the progressive education of Garvey’s teaching and pays tribute to the powerful messages of reggae music to the world”.