Tweet

---

By Times Caribbean Staff

On November 2, 1937, Basseterre came alive with anticipation as Marcus Mosiah Garvey, President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and a towering global advocate for Pan-Africanism, stepped onto the shores of St. Kitts from the S.S. Lady Nelson. His arrival was not merely a political tour — it was a symbolic homecoming to the island of his mother’s birth and an opportunity to deliver his transformative message of self-reliance, unity, and intellectual liberation.

The Union Messenger newspaper chronicled the visit, reporting that Garvey, accompanied by his secretary Miss White, spoke to a packed hall at the Mutual Improvement Society. In his speech, Garvey addressed what he called a “special class” — those most affected by poverty and systemic disadvantage — with a message of hope, self-confidence, and self-mastery.

---

A Kittitian Heritage

Historical research by Sandy Point historian Mr. Derrick Henry has revealed that Garvey’s mother, Sarah Jane Richards Woodley, was born in Sandy Point, St. Kitts, in 1852. This family link deepened the significance of his 1937 visit — Garvey was, in essence, returning to ancestral ground.

His connection to Sandy Point was reinforced by his friendship with Mr. Arnold McIntosh, a local businessman and ship operator. Surviving correspondence between Garvey and McIntosh, dated January 7, 1938, shows Garvey expressing gratitude for the warm reception and encouraging the creation of a St. Kitts branch of the UNIA. The letter outlined practical steps for organizing a local division, paying membership fees, and holding regular meetings — clear evidence that Garvey saw St. Kitts as fertile ground for his movement.

---

The Message in Basseterre

Speaking with his trademark blend of charisma and conviction, Garvey declared:

“It is God’s purpose for man to be happy. God never made inequalities; never made classes. He made man, and in the making, he equalized the character of man through man’s spiritual self and soul.”

He warned against materialism and complacency:

“The poorest people… are those who pay more attention to their stomachs than their brains.”

To Garvey, liberation began with mastering the mind. He urged St. Kittitians to rise above limitations, to educate themselves, and to reject the colonial notion that destiny was determined by birth or social class.

---

Organizing for the Future

Garvey’s 1938 letter to McIntosh reveals that his visit was part of a broader effort to strengthen UNIA’s presence across the Caribbean. He called for the immediate establishment of a St. Kitts branch, emphasizing that “the development of the people of our race should be organized in every community.”

He promised to send constitutions, membership buttons, and even copies of the UNIA’s official magazine to ensure the movement’s visibility and continuity on the island. His vision was clear: a united, empowered, and globally connected Black community, rooted in self-reliance and local leadership.

---

A Visit That Still Resonates

Garvey’s 1937 visit to St. Kitts was more than a speech — it was a convergence of personal heritage, political strategy, and spiritual exhortation. Standing in the land of his maternal ancestors, he issued a challenge that still echoes today:

“Your St. Kitts will be no greater than your minds.”

His call for unity, education, and economic independence remains a touchstone for Caribbean self-determination movements nearly a century later.

Marcus Garvey didn’t just pass through St. Kitts — he planted seeds. And the vision he left behind still calls to be nurtured.

---

If you’d like, I can now also create an 8K historically accurate visual showing Garvey speaking at the Mutual Improvement Society in Basseterre in 1937, with period-specific Caribbean details and a subtle nod to Sandy Point heritage for Times Caribbean publication. Would you like me to go ahead with that?