By Analah Wallace | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican immigrant who moved to Harlem and became an internationally known voice for Black pride and the “Back to Africa” movement in the early 1920s before he was deported to Jamaica in 1927, was honored Aug. 17 for his Pan-African movement.
About 75 people turned out to Estate Farms, 25 miles east of Sacramento, for the Marcus Garvey Community Organizing Festival. It featured a blend of reggae, rap and drumbeats, artists showcasing Black culture, home-cooked barbecue, fresh fruit and complimentary drinks. In the spirit of Africa, the estate was decorated with African tarps and red, green and black balloons, the colors of South Africa’s African National Congress party.
Garvey famously declared, “Look for me in the whirlwind,” which served as the event’s title.
Several Black organizations co-sponsored the event, including a Black farmers collective, the Oak Park Massage clinic and a Black-owned firearms business, 3RD Eye Watching.
The free event, which also featured a class for moms on keeping their children safe in case of emergencies, bike giveaway for kids and a raffle for adults, was organized by community leaders Keon and Teah Johnson. About two dozen vendors displayed their art and services.
“This is really important to us,” Keon Johnson said of their passion project. “Everyone got a moment to show what they’re about.”
Highlighting Garvey’s spirit and vision, the event was designed to inspire the Black community to take collective action and “fortify the commitment to Black love, unity, interdependence and liberation,” the Johnsons said in a press release. “It serves as a reminder that we are unified in our plight and that we are stronger together.
“We are in the best hands: our own. Help and be helped.”