Jamaican national hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, has received a major recognition by the Organization of American States (OAS). The organization has just re-named its Hall of Culture in his honor.

The Marcus Garvey Hall of Culture— located on the first floor of the historic main building of the OAS headquarters in downtown Washington, DC— hosts major cultural events. Along with the unveiling, an exhibition of books, documents, and artifacts entitled “Marcus Garvey: National Hero of Jamaica”, was displayed by the OAS Columbus Memorial Library to mark the occasion. The ceremony was attended by Marcus Garvey’s son, Dr. Julius Garvey, who recalled his father as a 20^th century leader who dedicated his life to educating and uniting African people across the globe. Also present were Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin; Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States and the OAS, His Excellency Anthony Johnson; Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza; and other diplomatic representatives.

At the ceremony, Secretary General Insulza said that it was appropriate that Garvey be recognized by the organization, because he was active throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. “This great Jamaican travelled throughout Central and South America, where he observed the difficult conditions under which his people lived and worked. He was not only perceived to be a trouble-maker, he was a trouble maker demanding an improvement in living conditions and human rights for citizens all over the Americas.” He exhorted people to see Garvey’s bust (donated to the OAS by the Jamaican Government in the early 1980s and displayed in the Hall of Heroes) and the Marcus Garvey Hall of Culture as symbols of equality and justice in the Americas.

For full article, see http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-19469–9-9–.html