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NUBIAN ARTS
"NEGRO WITH A HAT" 
I am writing to complain about Mr. Colin Grant's book:"Negro with a Hat: the Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey and his Dream of Mother Africa"
It is unfortunate that the BBC’s flagship programme aimed at the Afrikan (aka African/Afro-Caribbean/Black, etc.) community could feature a book with such an insulting title and an author who so profoundly misunderstands and misrepresents the object of his study. Firstly, to reduce the progenitor of the largest Afrikan mass movement in history who also provided the theoretical thrust for the Pan-Afrikan, anti-colonial, independence, civil rights and Black Power, etc. movements to a Negro With a Hat is an offence that would not tolerated by any other community. For example, would the Pakistani community consider a book entitled Paki In A Suit, about Muhammad Ali Jinnah "appropriate" or "intriuguing"? The fact that the overwhelming majority of the callers objected to the title should speak volumes. Assuming that the author is a historian, he ought to be aware of the allusions to the minstrel character ‘Zip Coon’ as ‘delineated’ by white American ‘performer’ George Washington Dixon in mid 19th century USA. ‘Zip Coon’ was a caricature of an Afrikan who desperately tried to affect ‘civilised’ white mores and values but simply magnified his own bufoonery in the process. The implication being that even though the Afrikan could adorn the raiments of southern gentility, he would never quite be a man. Grant’s own anecdote about the photographs of the (white) ‘man’ and the ‘Negro’ with a hat merely confirms his own genuflection to racist ideologies. But this is merely the beginning. When questioned about what new perspectives he brought to the understanding of Marcus Garvey he could offer nothing, save his own warped interpretations that fly in the face of most accepted (and ostensibly better researched) accounts of the Garvey Legacy: He dismisses the work of Prof. Tony Martin the world’s leading Garvey scholar and author/editor of almost a dozen books on the subject as "tendentious" Asserted that Garvey would have been opposed to Afrikan schools for Afrikan children Suggested that Garvey would have delighted in the current high levels exogamous relationships (or "miscegenation" as it was referred to in Garvey’s day) All of this flies in the face of even a cursory reading of the life and works of Marcus Garvey (or indeed his "philosophies and opinions") and begs the question what exactly was the purpose of the feature other than to highlight the peculiar musings of a BBC alumni? If the intention was really to emphasise the relevance of Marcus Garvey for young Afrikans, then why did the BBC not invite the aforementioned Prof. Martin onto the show on either of the two occasions that he was in the UK last year. Initially in April to launch his new book on Marcus Garvey’s first wife Amy Ashwood and again in August as part of the annual "Mosiah" celebrations organised by the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement where activists from across the country gathered in London to celebrate Garvey’s work and impact. Surely, if the objective was to discern the current relevance of Garvey why not include those who work in the Afrikan community in London who are striving to do just that in the programme? The reality is that not only did the Sunday Night Special neglect to do this last year, it has never done it through all the years these observances have occurred in spite of being notified. In sum Mr Grant has rendered the gravest disservice to the Garvey legacy. Moreover, his fanciful notions would have given the listener no insight of how Marcus Garvey could ever be relevant to young Afrikans, due to his characterisation of this great man as little more than an integrationist caricature. Our challenge to you if are serious about examining the continuing legacy of the Eminent Prophet Marcus Mosiah Garvey is to extend an invitation to those who continue to be inspired by his legacy and transmit this to our young people in exciting and engaging ways. For this purpose we would heartily recommend Prof. Martin but if he proves unavailable then Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka, Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement. Bro. Olatunji Heru Chief Officer Politics Department Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement NUBIAN ARTS Vol.1  
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