John Hoffman

Grant, Otis B. "Social Justice versus Social Equality: The Capitalistic

Jurisprudence of Marcus Garvey." Journal of Black Studies 33 (2003): 490-
98. JSTOR. Glenbrook South IMC, Glenview. 1 May 2009
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/3180876>.

The Invisible Man contains many interactions between divergent theories of race

and oppression. Ras the Exhorter (a.k.a. Ras the Destroyer) appears to roughly parallel

qualities of Marcus Garvey, such as their shared West Indian heritage and their violent,

separatist ideals. Although Ras might not perfectly fit the identity of Marcus Garvey, it is

important to understand what Garvey’s ideals were and why they resonated so well with

the Harlem population. On page 367, Brother Tod Clifton exclaims “[Garvey] must have

had something to move all those people. Our people are hell to move.” Otis Grant’s

article gives an in depth analysis of Garvey’s rationale, as well as detailed biographical

information to better understand his motives and why his techniques so successfully

resonated with his audience. The article intimately weaves together multiple sources,

authors and points of view to both verify Grant’s contentions about Garvey and to extend

the reader’s understanding of Garvey past Grant’s own point of view.