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Jamaica, A Pilgrimage for Pan African Leaders

Ocho Rios, Jamaica – A team of three Pan African Federalists will be heading to Jamaica to take part in the production of the annual Mwalimu Marcus Mosiah Garvey Lecture and Concert on Sunday, August 20, 2017 in celebration of the birthday of Jamaica’s first national hero.

The team consists of Brother Joomaay Faye, Deputy Coordinator and Founding member, International Provisional Initiating Committee (IPIC), Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM) (Senegal/New Jersey); Felipe Noguera, Caribbean Coordinator, Regional Initiating Committee (RIC), Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM) and Michael Cherry, Award-Winning Actor who will perform a Soliloquy of Mwalimu Marcus Garvey’s life. (Both are from Trinidad & Tobago).

The Pan African Federalists will be joined by an emerging National Initiating Team (NIC) on the ground which includes Dr Danovan Whyte, Coordinator, members Kamau Janai, Valerie Dixon and others.

Sharon Parris-Chambers, Deputy Coordinator, Regional Initiating Committee, Caribbean will spearhead the planning and organization of their visit and meetings to include dialogue with Pan Africanists in all spheres, civic and community leaders.

The organization is a grassroots coalition for African Unity built around the Call for the First Pan African Federalist Congress, which was officially launched by the International Provisional Initiating Committee (IPIC) on Wednesday, February 25, 2015.

The Mwalimu Marcus Mosiah Garvey Lecture and Concert is the premier annual event produced by IRIE FM Radio which invites Africans far and wide to the IRIE FM Courtyard and Great House to celebrate Jamaica’s first national hero through Tributes in the form of spoken word, dance, lectures and concert performances.

Dr Joomaay Faye (Brother), Deputy Coordinator and Founding member, International Provisional Initiating Committee (IPIC), Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM)
Dr Joomaay Faye (Brother), Deputy Coordinator and Founding member, International Provisional Initiating Committee (IPIC), Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM)

In Joomaay Faye’s Senegalese language of Seereer, Marcus Garvey is known as a Pangool (Saint).

During a radio interview with Ka’bu Ma’at Kheru to introduce the PAFM speakers, Brother Joomaay said “Marcus Garvey was the first Pan African Federalist. It would be a pilgrimage to return to Garvey’s homeland. Our people must understand they have a responsibility to pick up the torch from which Garvey left, to unite African States.”

Felipe Noguera, Caribbean Coordinator, Regional Initiating Committee (RIC), Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM).
Felipe Noguera, Caribbean Coordinator, Regional Initiating Committee (RIC), Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM).

During the same interview with Ka’bu, Felipe Noguera honored Pan African heroes & heroines from the Caribbean.   “From Toussaint to Dessalines, Christophe,  Petion in Haiti; Maceo and Dreke from Cuba, Henry Sylvester Williams, George Pedmore, CLR James and Kwame Toure  (aka Stokely Carmichael) from Trinidad to Franz Fanon and Aimee Cezaire from Martinique and Guadeloupe, as well as, Marcus, Marley and the pantheon of men and women Pan Africanists from Jamaica before and after Garvey. The Caribbean has made historic and noteworthy contributions to the global cause of African unity and liberation.”

He gave a brief introduction to Michael Cherrie, the actor who won acclaim for his role in “I Marcus Garvey,” a play written by Edgar Nkosi White.

In 2016 Cherrie landed a significant role along with Penelope Spencer in Carnival 2016 Lordstreet hosted on the streets of Port of Spain, where he performed MARCUS & AMY, an award-wining mas intervention, featuring the official state visit of Marcus and Amy Garvey to Trinidad & Tobago.

Ka’bu Ma’at Kheru said this year’s event will be a bit different than the previous ones and will take the form of a Colloquium with panel discussions centered around the theme: “Pan Africanism or Perish – Reparations Now!

Sponsors for the invitation of the Pan African Federalists to Jamaica are: IRIE FM Radio, Valerie Dixon (the Lady President of the UNIA-ACL), PanaCarib Business Solutions, Caribnewsroom.com and Mi-Hungry Restaurant.

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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