The Ghost of Marcus Garvey and the Seeds of Black Pride in a Changing World
When readers picked up the March 1960 issue of Ebony Magazine, they were not only turning the pages of a popular African American publication. They were stepping into a moment of history when old struggles and new movements were colliding. That issue carried a bold feature titled “The Ghost of Marcus Garvey: Interviews with Crusader’s Two Wives” by Lerone Bennett Jr. — a sweeping reflection on the life, triumphs, and failures of the Jamaican-born leader who had electrified Harlem in the 1920s with his message of pride, unity, and African redemption.
By revisiting Garvey nearly twenty years after his death, Ebony reminded its readers that his vision still haunted, inspired, and divided. The article gave voice to the women who knew him best — his widow Amy Jacques Garvey, living in Jamaica, and his first wife Amy Ashwood Garvey, living in London. Together, their testimonies brought Marcus Garvey back to life for a generation that was now watching the dawn of African independence and the intensifying struggle for civil rights in the United States.
The late 1950s and early 1960s marked a period of seismic change for people of African descent around the globe. Across the African continent, nations such as Ghana (1957) and Nigeria (1960) were breaking free from colonial rule, while in America the civil rights movement was accelerating, with lunch counter sit-ins, voter registration drives, and court battles challenging segregation.
In that atmosphere, Ebony’s decision to revisit Marcus Garvey was significant. Garvey, who had died in 1940, had been one of the first Black leaders to speak unapologetically about African pride, economic self-determination, and the unity of Black people across borders. His Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) had once claimed millions of members worldwide. Yet his legacy remained contested — celebrated as prophetic by some, dismissed as reckless by others.
By 1960, younger activists could look at Garvey’s calls for pride and see clear connections to their own struggles. At the same time, the failures of his ventures — especially the collapse of the Black Star Line shipping company and his imprisonment for mail fraud — served as cautionary lessons. In framing Garvey as a “ghost” whose presence still lingered, Ebony captured both his unfinished business and his enduring influence.
Unlike mainstream publications that either ignored or caricatured Garvey, Ebony offered a nuanced portrait. The feature blended personal testimony, historical photographs, and journalistic analysis — a method that was central to Ebony’s style. This was not simply a dry biography; it was a living conversation about race, memory, and identity.
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Amy Jacques Garvey, speaking from Kingston, insisted her husband was prophetic, a man ahead of his time who had given Black people pride in their heritage. She recalled his famous words: “God made you Black and He didn’t make a mistake.”
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Amy Ashwood Garvey, living in London and directing the Afro Peoples Centre, described him as a flawed man but an unmatched agitator whose thunderous speeches could awaken the slumbering spirit of a race.
The photographs deepened the story: Harlem parades of Garvey’s Black Cross Nurses marching in crisp uniforms, Garvey himself being led to prison after his conviction, Amy Jacques at the unveiling of his bust in Kingston, and images of their sons, Julius and Marcus Jr., continuing the family’s legacy through education and professional work. Each image reminded readers that Garvey’s impact was both global and deeply personal.
The cover of the March 1960 Ebony featured Major General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., a decorated U.S. Air Force officer, symbolizing African American achievement within the military. This choice itself reflected Ebony’s editorial mission: to highlight both the contemporary success of Black leaders and the historical struggles that paved the way.
Inside, the Garvey feature exemplified Ebony’s unmatched combination of serious historical reflection and vivid photojournalism. Whereas academic journals might have discussed Garvey in abstract terms, Ebony put faces, places, and emotions onto the page. Readers saw the widow and first wife who carried his memory. They saw the Black parades that turned Harlem into a stage for dignity. They saw both triumph and downfall.
It was a storytelling approach no other American magazine at the time could replicate — news, culture, lifestyle, and political memory bound together in one issue, aimed directly at African American readers hungry for representation.
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Two Voices, One Legacy – Both Amy Jacques and Amy Ashwood defended Garvey, though in different tones. Jacques stressed his prophetic role, Ashwood acknowledged his faults but underscored his unmatched passion.
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Garvey and Africa – Though Garvey never set foot on the African continent, his ideas inspired leaders like Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah and Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta, who credited him with shaping their nationalist visions.
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Pageantry as Power – Ebony highlighted how Garvey used uniforms, parades, and symbolism (like the Black Cross Nurses) to dramatize his call for Black pride.
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Conviction and Exile – The photos of Garvey being led to jail were stark reminders of his fall from power, yet Ebony framed these as part of a larger story rather than his defining legacy.
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Family Continuity – His sons Julius and Marcus Jr., educated and professional, embodied a new generation of Black progress rooted in his ideals.
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Clash with Critics – The article referenced W.E.B. Du Bois, who had once called Garvey a “dangerous demagogue.” Yet Ebony suggested that history was beginning to judge Garvey differently.
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Religion and Identity – Garvey’s declaration that “God is Black and Jesus Black” was noted as one of his most radical messages, a theological claim that reinforced racial pride.
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Immortality of the Idea – Both Amys insisted that Garvey’s vision could not die. Amy Jacques said simply, “His name will live.”
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Symbol of Black Power Before Its Time – Ebony situated Garvey as a forerunner of what would soon become known in the 1960s as the Black Power movement.
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The Ghost Metaphor – The very title suggested that Garvey’s presence was not confined to history. He remained a living force shaping thought and debate in 1960.
For collectors of vintage Ebony magazines, the March 1960 issue is a prized artifact. It is valuable for several reasons:
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Historical Timing: Published at the dawn of African independence movements and during the rising civil rights struggle in America, it framed Garvey as a bridge between past and present.
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Iconic Photography: The images of Garvey’s parades, his imprisonment, and his family are rare historical documents preserved in print.
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Cultural Significance: This issue demonstrated Ebony’s role as a custodian of African American memory, telling stories absent from mainstream media.
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Collector Demand: Issues featuring milestone figures — Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, entertainers like Nat King Cole or Lena Horne — are especially sought after by historians, collectors, and families honoring their heritage.
Owning this issue is not just about having a magazine. It is about holding a piece of history that connected Harlem of the 1920s to Ghana of the 1950s and the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.
Ebony’s treatment of Garvey is a case study in why the magazine remains so vital to cultural history. It was not afraid to wrestle with contradictions. It did not whitewash Garvey’s failures, but it refused to dismiss his achievements. It created a space where African Americans could see their past with complexity and pride.
Today, when scholars, students, and cultural enthusiasts look back at vintage Ebony magazines, they find not only reporting but a record of African American identity in formation. Each issue is a time capsule, preserving the debates, the aspirations, and the images that shaped a generation.
If you’re inspired by the March 1960 issue featuring Marcus Garvey, you can explore an entire collection of original Ebony magazines spanning decades. From the 1940s through the 1980s, Ebony chronicled civil rights milestones, the rise of African independence, the triumphs of entertainers and athletes, and the everyday lives of Black families.
👉 Browse the full collection of original Ebony magazines here:
Original Ebony Magazines Collection
Whether you’re a seasoned collector, a historian, or someone preserving family heritage, these magazines are more than paper. They are living artifacts of African American history and culture.
The March 1960 issue of Ebony Magazine remains one of the most important examinations of Marcus Garvey’s legacy. By framing him as a “ghost” still haunting the present, Ebony reminded readers that the struggles of the past were not finished and that the seeds Garvey planted in Harlem had blossomed across the world.
For collectors and history lovers, holding this issue is like holding a conversation between generations. It is a reminder that even flawed leaders can spark movements that change nations. And thanks to Ebony’s unmatched photojournalism and reporting, the story of Garvey and his vision of pride and unity endures, more than 60 years later.
In the end, Garvey’s ghost was not a shadow but a torch — passed on to those who came after him.