The Historian as Detective

 

Hello Wonderful People of God!

        

I want to share a document with you that I discovered while conducting research in Jamaica last year.  Many of you know that my father is Jamaican and I consider the lovely Caribbean island to be my second home.  I have spent countless weeks, days and hours analyzing various documents housed in the archives at the Institute of Jamaica and the University of West Indies, in Kingston, as well as the nation’s archival center in Spanish Town.

            One historical find that peaked my interest was a newspaper article dated, February 14, 1935 in the Jamaica Gleaner, the country’s oldest continuously published newspaper.[1]   The article covered an event where the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. presented a lecture on the Right Reverend Richard Allen during a Founders Day Observance at the  former mother church of African Methodism in Jamaica, Allen Temple A.M.E. Church.[2]

 

[1] Jamaica Gleaner, 14, February 1935, p. 11. Copyright 2004 Heritage Microfilm, Inc. and Newspaperarchive.com

[2] Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was a Jamaican publisher, entrepreneur and activist who organized The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) the most successful global mass movement to motivate African descendants to support the idea of a developed African continent led by capable black leaders.  His vision sought to elevate and unify the black race throughout the African diaspora through education and economic empowerment. He created the steamship company the Black Star Line to promote entrepreneurship and the return of black people to develop the African continent.  He was the first man to receive the Order of National Hero by the government of Jamaica in 1969. Hence he is referenced with the title, The Right Excellent Marcus Garvey.

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Here is an excerpt of the article:
 

Mr. Garvey’s Address

The treat of the evening came at [ … illegible] an address by Mr. Garvey. [ … illegible] With his characteristic eloquence and philosophic treatment of the subject, the speaker held the audience enthralled for over 30 minutes while he discoursed on the merits of Richard Allen.  He began by saying it was a pleasure to come to them at the invitation of their pastor and to speak on Richard Allen – a character of history and the founder of a great church.  The African Methodist Episcopal Church was one well known in America, launched at a time when the negro was being buffeted about [ … illegible] Richard Allen had something original for the Negro in Religion and he founded the A.M.E. Church.  Since that time it had been established in every State of the Union and today was spread to Africa, South and Central America and the West Indies.

It was fitting at this time that the branch in Jamaica should commemorate his greatness.  They should do that with reverence for there were very few things in civilization for which they could claim originality.  They were judged from what they could do and their low standard among the peoples of the world was due to their inability to create, originate bring forth things worthy of their higher civilization.  That was one of the chief reasons for their inferiority compared with the other nations, white and coloured of the world. When one hundred years ago, when the Negro was but a child in the precepts of Religion or of Philosophy, a man could found such a Religion for his people, then he was a man to be honoured and have tribute paid him. He[Garvey] had come to pay tribute to this man who in the dark ages of Negro culture could visualize the avenues of progress which Religion would open up for him.   

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         After I found the article I became determined to find out if the church was still standing where the 1935 Founders Day lecture occurred.  No one I asked who presently attended AME Churches  in Jamaica had any memory of the old Allen Temple.  Based on the address, it would be in an extremely blighted area of West Kingston - called a garrison that was controlled by gangs and often prone to violence.  Nevertheless, after months of investigative research, many days taking the bus or walking on foot, one day I found the building that once represented the Mother Church of African Methodism in Jamaica – the former Allen Temple !!!  Although it was no longer an A.M.E. Church,  it was still in good repair and still being used as a church – in fact it was the only church bearing witness to the good news of  Christ on the entire block of a very depressed area of the city. Praise God!

Below is a picture I took of the church when I was there last year. In this sanctuary, Marcus Garvey paid tribute to our own Bishop Richard Allen.

  

Well, now we’re off to Detroit, Michigan for the Connectional Lay Organization Biennial. I look forward to seeing many of you there!  I remain on this quest to serve you as “Today’s Historian for Tomorrow’s Church.”

Rev. Sharon