The journey behind Legacy & Lineage of Marcus Moziah Garvey began with my meeting of Dr. Julius W. Garvey inside Liberty Hall, Kingston, Jamaica which led to my determination to uncover the genealogy of three extraordinary figures—Marcus Moziah Garvey, Amy “Ashwood” Garvey and Amy “Jacques” Garvey—and to follow the evidence wherever it led me. One of the most significant moments came when I obtained Marcus Garvey’s death certificate and had the opportunity to take it to his son who had never seen it before in 2023, creating a deeply personal connection between the historical record and the Garvey family.

Hurricane Beryl came to Jamaica in July 2024, and it was at this time I brought the death certificate to Jamaica who also had not seen it before (to my knowledge). It was impossible not to reflect on Marcus Garvey’s prophetic words: “Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm, look for me all around you…”—words written while he was imprisoned in Atlanta in 1925. On pages 114-121 you can find Marcus Garvey's Prison records connecting to his incarceration in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary 1925 - 1927, on charge of 'Mail Fraud' which in January 2025 President Joseph Biden granted Marcus Garvey a full pardon (page 181). In many ways, this journey itself seemed to echo his words, as each archive, document and discovery revealed another part of his story.

The research ultimately took me to New York, where I was able to obtain 104-year-old annulment records through the American legal system, opening a remarkable window into the thoughts, experiences and feelings surrounding Marcus Garvey and Amy Ashwood Garvey. These records, explored in Chapter 3, together with the divorce decree (page 96 & 233), provide an extraordinary opportunity to move beyond the public historical narrative and examine aspects of their relationship through original legal documentation. The book also represents an important collaboration between history, genealogy and contemporary art, with Tavares Strachan granting permission for his powerful 2023 work, The First Supper (Galaxy Black), to be included in this unique edition. Together, these discoveries, documents and artistic contributions make Legacy & Lineage of Marcus Moziah Garvey a truly one-of-a-kind exploration of lineage, love, family, history and legacy

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It is easy to believe that our family history is solely connected to our own ancestral line, but this book invites you to look beyond genealogy and understand the profound connections we share through our actions, words, initiatives and choices. History connects us in countless ways, linking generations, communities and cultures through the lives of those who came before us. And whose history could be more powerful to begin with than the man and women whose lives, sacrifices and contributions have helped ensure that we can continue to stand empowered in our history, heritage and cultures? Their timelines remind us that our legacy is not only inherited—it is also created, carried forward and shared by each generation.