Invisible man character relation to strong black leaders at the time

Lauren Shorter Mrs. Beatty AP English Language 04 December 2008 Strong and weak points of Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. Dubois and how each man correlates to characters in the novel “ The Invisible Man” In the novel the Invisible Man very different philosophies were expressed during a time period in the author’s life when competing ideas of how the black race could best improve its self, each philosophy has strong and weak points with each philosopher having very different opinions and personalities. Marcus Garvey was for his generation and time period a military voice that was there to help his people to fight back against racism and become a people with pride in themselves. Marcus Garvey believed “ A race without authority and power is a race without respect. “( http://wordowner. com/garvey/chapter1. htm) But a quote that better explains Marcus Garvey’s philosophy is “ The only protection against INJUSTICE in man is POWER–Physical, financial and scientific. ” (http://wordowner. com/garvey/chapter1. htm). Marcus Garvey believed in self-reliance for black people. Garvey was unique in advancing a Pan-African philosophy to inspire a global mass movement focusing on Africa known as Garveyism. Promoted by the UNIA as a movement of African Redemption, Garveyism would eventually inspire others, ranging from the Nation of Islam, to the Rastafari movement (which proclaims Garvey as a prophet). The intention of the movement was for those of African ancestry to ” redeem” Africa and for the European colonial powers to leave it. The idea that African Americans should return to Africa was known as the Colonist Movement. His essential ideas about Africa were stated in an editorial in the Negro World entitled “ African Fundamentalism” where he wrote, “ Our union must know no clime, boundary, or nationality… let us hold together under all climes and in every country” Booker T. Washington’s opinion of Garvey helps us understand that his philosophies for the black race differed greatly than Marcus Garvey’s philosophies for the black race. Booker T. Washington believed that Garvey was “…without doubt, the most dangerous enemy of the Negro race in America and in the world. He is either a lunatic or a traitor. ” (Dubois, ” The Crisis”, Vol 28, May 1924, pp. 8-9). Washington believed that education was a crucial key to African American citizens rising within the social and economic structure of the United States. He received lots of c | |