The University of the West Indies

FOUN 1101
Caribbean Civilisation
Book Report

Student name: Zudieka Cousins

Student ID number: 620121153

Degree Program: Sociology

Faculty: Social sciences

Campus: Mona

Date: November 16, 2018

I certify that this is my own work and by attaching this cover sheet certify further that there are no
instances of plagiarism contained herein. I submit to any penalty imposed by the Faculty for any
instance of plagiarism found in my work howsoever caused.

Signed: (Zudieka Cousins )

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 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
Undergraduate Coursework Accountability Statement (To be completed by student)

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2018-2019 SEMESTER: I

COURSE CODE: FOUN 1101 TITLE: Caribbean Civilisation

NAME: Zudieka Cousins ID: 620121153

1. I hereby certify that I am the author of the attached item of coursework and that all
materials from reference sources have been properly acknowledged.

2. I understand what plagiarism is and what penalties may be imposed on students found
guilty of plagiarism.

3. I certify that this paper contains no plagiarised material.

4. I certify that this is my own work and that I did not receive any unfair assistance from
others (including unauthorized collaboration) in its preparation.

5. I certify that this paper has not previously been submitted either in its entirety or in part
within the UWI system or to any other educational institution.

6. In the case of group work:

a. I certify that the individual work of each member of the group has been clearly
indicated;
b. that where no such indication has been given, I take the responsibility for the
work as if it were the section of the paper for which I am solely responsible; and
c. that I have not collaborated with any members of the group to breach the
University’s regulations.

Signature: Z. Cousins
Date : November 16, 2018
The book entitled “ Marcus Garvey” was written by Rupert Lewis a political scientist. He was on

born February 24,1947. “He has published extensively on Marcus Garvey’s activities in Jamaica

and the Caribbean region. He has also authored research about the Caribbean activist-intellectual,

Walter Rodney. Professor Lewis has served as a member of the Council of the Institute Of

Jamaica and as a Chairman of the African-Caribbean Institute of Jamaica Memory Bank.”(The

University Of The West Indies Mona library). According to the article “Prof Rupert Lewis To be

honored” published October 7, 2013 which states that “Rupert Lewis introduced the teaching of

Garveyism at the University Of The West Indies, he is a scholar, author, teacher, mentor and

public servant of immense integrity, dedication and selflessness. He has spent years in

Department of the Government, teaching and mentoring several generations of students.

“Professor Lewis has played a central role in the shaping of a curriculum and a philosophy of

education and training aimed at undermining the cultural, psychological and intellectual legacies

of slavery and colonialism. This path has been shaped by Lewis’ conviction and informed and

guides by insights and lessons drawn by him, from his persistent scholarly research into the

culture of hope, dignity, fortitude, cooperation, sovereignty, freedom and leadership, forged by

generations of people of African descent in their struggle. The book was published in the year

1987”. “The book aims to establish the biography of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, documents the

forging of his remarkable vision of pan Africanism in promoting self determination and self-

reliance for Africa’s independence. Although Garvey travelled widely, lived abroad in New York

and London, he spent his early years in Jamaica. Rupert Lewis traces how Garvey’s Jamaican

formation shaped his life and thought about how he combated the British colonial authorities as

well as fought deep-rooted self doubt and self rejection among Jamaican black people. Garvey’s

much neglected political and cultural work at the local level is discussed as part of his project to
stimulate self determination in African and its diaspora” (The University Of The West Indies

Press). This book consist of various themes including identity, racism, imperialism,

colonialism,religion, classism and much more.

According to Chegg study dictionary , “Social Identity is one’s sense of self as a member of a

social group (or groups). Sociologist uses the concept of social identity to explain how people

understand who they are and why they do what they do. According to the Social Identity Theory,

people classify themselves and others as belonging to a specific group. People regard groups

more like themselves more positively, identifying themselves as members of such groups in

contrast to others. For example, preferring certain value ,one might identify oneself a

conservative as opposed to a liberal. Some sociologist believes social identity can explain

extreme behavior. A gang member, for example, might kill someone because the gang member

identifies himself or herself as a member of a specific gang as opposed to another”. Rupert Lewis

page 9 Marcus Garvey’s exact words “ I really never knew there was so much colour prejudice in

Jamaica, my own native home, until I started the work of the Universal Negro Improvement

Association… The daily papers wrote me up with big headlines and told of my movement. But

nobody wanted to be a Negro. “ Garvey is crazy; he has lost his head.” “Is that the use he is

going to make of his experience and intelligence?”- such were the criticism passed upon me.

Men and women as black as I, and even more so, had believed themselves white under the West

Indies order of society. I was simply an impossible man to use openly the term “ Negro”; yet

every one beneath his breath was calling the black man a nigger. The comments that is own

people made such as “Garvey is Crazy !” , “he as lost his head”, “Is that the use that he is going

to make of his intelligence” . Garvey described these persons, both male and female as “black as

I, and even more”. Garvey explained that these persons identified themselves as whites and
emphasized that nobody wanted to be Negro. Everyone tends to accept the white man culture

(way of life) and consider it to be ideal so therefore they eventually lost their identity as the

article “this obsession with skin colour” October 20, 2013 ( Jamaica Observer) declares that “

Ever since slavery, Jamaica has had a precaution with the exact shade of person’s skin, light

skinned men and women have often been routinely regarded as more attractive. Some families

have even gone so far as to favor their light-skinned children over their dark-skinned offspring.

Furthermore, light skinned persons often equate to superior social status, it was a shock to arrive

in Britain and realize that white people regarded them as “black!”. This issue came into existence

because of racist comments on a contestant in the 2014 America Miss World competition after

she won. This, however leads us to colorism where persons of a darker shade are discriminated,

for example their was a challenge on Instagram a few days ago where multiple girls were

dancing for One Hundred Thousand Jamaican Dollars , a particular female with a dark skin

shade was in the competition and as I was going through the comments I arrived on one that

blew me off : his exact words were “skin too black need a browning”. It was even a few weeks

ago that a female Jamaican Dancehall artist Grace Hamilton popular known as Spice performed

a public stunt where she was absent from Instagram for a couple of months and later came back

with a lighter skin tone and released a new single “Black Hypocrisy”. The main reason for this

song was for Spice to open about the struggles she faced for being a darker shade woman in the

music industry. Racism was another prevalent issue argued in the text. According to the website

https://www.adl.org/racism Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior to another, that a

persons social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics.

Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should

remain segregated and apart from each other. Rupert Lewis pages (13-14) where it states racism
also functioned to distort social relationship. When Garvey was fourteen years of age, he had a

white playmate. When she was mature enough where her parents thought that she and Marcus

Garvey would begin to develop feelings for each other they decided to separate them. What he

describes as drawing the color line. They told her that she was never to write or try to get in

touch with Garvey again since he was a “nigger”. He emphasized that it was then that he realized

that there was a difference between the races and that one group felt that it was superior than the

other. Rupert Lewis page 26-27 justified that racism wasn’t only present in the Caribbean as

Garvey explained that when he was in New York he witnessed a parade of some African

American soldiers after their return from World War 1 in France. He realized the sacrifices black

soldiers had to make and how they were treated inhumanely

Rastafarism was a religious group revealed in the text. Meriam Webster Dictionary defines

Rastafarism as a religious movement among black Jamaicans that teaches the eventual

redemption of blacks and their return to Africa, it employs the ritualistic use of marijuana,

forbids the cutting of hair, and venerates Haile Selassie God. Rupert Lewis pages 80-82 “Garvey

had been critical of those who invested him with divine powers whether as a God or prophet or

others who said they had a message for him from God” and Rupert continued by saying that

even though, Garvey protested against many religious groups and he did not agree of the way

Leonard Howell praised Haile Sellasie with divine status. The Rastafari movement was one of

the strongest supporter of Garvey’s advocacy. Rupert Lewis pages 3-4 shows that Garvey was

actually brought up in a Christian household as the book states that he was baptized into a

Wesleyan Methodist Church . Family life was prevalent throughout the text: according to

Murdock the family includes adults of both sexes, at least two to which maintain a society

approved sexual relationship and one or more children, their own or adopted of the sexually
cohabitation adults ( Murdock) 1949. Rupert Lewis pages 1-3 His parents were married two

years after he was born. His father had multiple occupations such as an artisan and brick layer.

His father, however, had three different sets of children. When his parents separated , Garvey

played the father role in his family at the age of fourteen it can therefore be said that he was the

head of the household then (Patriarchy) . Garvey’s mother was a housekeeper in a middle class

home.Garvey described his mother as a compassionate person as opposed to his father who is

described as severe, firm, determined ,bold and strong. In this modern contemporary society, it

can be seen where the nuclear family, which is the ideal family type is barely present. There are

many broken homes and fathers tend to have many separate sets of children .Rupert Lewis page

25 shows that Marcus Garvey got married twice, first to Amy Ashwood but that relationship

wasn’t succesful because it is said that he caught her in bed with Guy Johnson one employee of

the Black Starline and that she had not given up drinking whisky. He later got married to Amy

Jaques and that relationship endured for a long time. He had children with her.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary it defines imperialism as the policy, practice,

advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial

acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas.

Rupert Lewis page 13 where racial practices were being performed by whites because they had

power over the enslaved Africans. They treated them as property. These owners had the authority

to rape, injure or kill them if they had committed any offense. Rupert Lewis page 26 and I quote

“Within two years of his arrival in New York, Garvey witnessed the return of war veterans who

were militant mood and were determined to secure the equity and justice in America that they

had fought for Europe”. Classism was another frequent issue existing in the text . Classism is

basically the way others treat you based on your status or social class. Rupert Lewis page 34
explained that even though In the Caribbean and some parts of Africa social status could further

an individual status in life based on their education , occupation and other means . In America

this was not so , the same discrimination given to a poor black person was the same given to a

working class. This brings us back to the point of Slavery where once you were black you were

treated unfairly and inhumanely.Rupert Lewis pages 65-68 When Garvey intervened in the

People National Party this was the first time that the interest of the mass was considered. His

program entailed mostly economic, legal, political an educational interest of the of the working

and middle class. Garvey conducted a campaign against colonial operations. There were a list of

economic demands of the program these included a minimum wage for working class persons of

the island, a law to protect the working class and laboring classes of the country when they met

in accidents, if they became sick, and even when they died.

The book was written by Rupert Lewis in the year 1987. It is based on Marcus Garvey’s major

experience, accomplishments,organization and lifetime. Rupert Lewis introduced the teaching of

Garveyism at the University Of The West Indies. The time period in which this took place was

Pre independence and Post Emancipation, this period was when most of the Caribbean territories

were owned by metropolitan countries they were under crown rule. Some Major themes

highlighted were prevalent throughout the book these include identity which refers to as a

person being a member of a particular group how you are relatable to that group, Racism which

speaks about the discrimination based on race. The race, which discriminates the other may

believe that its own race is superior. Imperialism : Metropolitan countries use their power over

smaller countries. Religion which refers to the belief and worship or a superior or supernatural

being. Classism which refers to being prejudice against a person from a specific social class. This

book is of immense value to Caribbean Civilistation and I would recommend it to others as it

entails almost every details of Marcus Garveys lifetime and work it also speaks about some

historical events and process that took place in the Caribbean region. It also would help persons

in understanding their identity. It aims to teach us about the social, and cultural backgrounds of

our ancestors. It even aims to identify some experiences that took place at that time that can be

seen in our todays society for example of family life.

Bibliography

BOOKS
 Rupert (Lewis) Marcus Garvey , Kingston Jamaica,1987
 Nasser (Mustapha) Sociology For Caribbean Students Second Edition , Ian Randle

Publishers , Kingston Jamaica, 2013

WEBSITES
 Professor Rupert Lewis,UWI Mona Library

https://www.mona.uwi.edu/library/professor-rupert-lewis
 Marcus Garvey , http://www.uwipress.com/books/marcus-garvey
 Professor Rupert Lewis to be honored, October 7,2013, http://Jamaica-

gleaner.com/gleaner/20131007/lead/lead71.html
 Chegg Study dictionary https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/dictionary-of-textile-

engineering-solutions-122150
 This Obsession with skin color Oct. 20, 2013

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/This-obsession-with-skin-colour_15280799
 Meriam Webster dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/