Son of civil rights icon visits the campus
09 Oct 2013
Dr Julius Garvey, the son of Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first activist for black nationalism and founder of many pan-African movements, spoke to a University audience about 'Exploring Your Black History" on 3 October.
A vascular surgeon based in New York, Dr Garvey spoke at a special event held in the Martin Harris Centre as part of October's Black History Month celebrations, during his first visit to the UK.
After talking about his history and experiences, Dr Garvey moved on to more pertinent issues. He pointed out that "Africa is the richest land as far as resources are concerned, but in reality, it is the poorest land." Sharing his thoughts on how the African population should continue its struggle, he said: "The 21st Century belongs to the young bright people and now is a pivotal time for the development of Africa – we can learn a lot from China."
Afterwards, Dr Garvey answered questions from the audience on his own history and career progress, the importance of role models and the family, and how people in positions of power can use their influence to support progress and prevent the BME community from falling prey to the ‘revolving door’ syndrome.
Dr Garvey later headed to the Manchester Museum, where he entertained school children with tales of black history.
Black History Month
Black History Month events continue at the University throughout October and a full timetable can be seen at: