An insult to Marcus Garvey THE EDITOR, Sir: I AM very disturbed by the announcement that an award in the name of Jamaican National Hero and Afro-centric philosopher Marcus Garvey will be presented to English actor Roger Moore at the upcoming Jamerican Film Festival being held in Jamaica September 28-November 4. The event is organised by Hollywood actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and funded by the Jamaican government through various of its tourism and promotion agencies, as well as private sector sponsors. Marcus Garvey was a champion of the African Diaspora who espoused the philosophy that black people should see greatness in themselves and thereby honour their own. I am confident that Mr. Garvey would have strenuously objected to an award in his name being given to a European with no connection whatsoever to Jamaica, Africa or African people. To my knowledge, though Roger Moore has made many films and TV programmes during his career, none has ever been made in Jamaica. Nor has anything Mr. Moore has done in his professional life brought so great an impact or benefit to Africans at home and abroad to have singled him out for honouring in the name of Marcus Garvey. How can a European be singled out for an honour of such grand Afro-centric pedigree before such deserving contributors to Afro-centric film-making pride as Spike Lee, Gordon Parks Sr., Haile Gerima, Denzel Washington and many others - not to mention Jamaican's own film heroes such as Lennie Little-White, Carl Bradshaw, Carey Robinson, to name a few. There can be no good reason for this award by the Jamaican government. On the contrary, it is a great insult to the philosophy and opinions of Marcus Garvey. I urge readers to add their voices to the protest against this action. I am etc., BARBARA MAKEDA BLAKE HANNAH KINGSTON
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