The Political Influence of Garveyism on Aboriginal Australia
Speaking at the Birckbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London, Purai Co-Director Professor John Maynard said that the connection that Indigenous Australian activists had with Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) smashes the entrenched belief of an inward, insular and nationalistic political movement.
He argues that 1920s Australia had a vibrant pan-Aboriginal political movement intent on demanding land and citizenship rights in their own country as well as protecting their children from the government removal policy and defending an Indigenous cultural identity.
Professor Maynard’s talk examines the rise of this early Aboriginal political movement at this critical point in world history including the transoceanic political influence of Garveyism on its political directives.
“Two prominent Aboriginal leaders of the time, Fred Maynard and Tom Lacey, became Garveyites and viewed Garveyism as an answer to Aboriginal issues in Australia,” Professor Maynard said.
He maintains that Garvey’s message was not only pertinent to the Aboriginal political movement at the time but that Marcus Garvey’s legacy continues to influence contemporary activism.
Hear the introduction, talk and questions here.
Contact
- Dr Jacqueline Wright
- Phone: 02 4921 7408
- Email: jacqui.wright@newcastle.edu.au
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