Diaspora Power
Estimates sometimes point to there being as many Jamaicans outside the island nation as there are in it, with 1.7 million in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. alone.
With such a large numbers abroad, Jamaicans have historically wielded significant influence on the world stage. Native Jamaicans and their descendants are often in influential positions internationally, such as former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, rap artist The Notorious B.I.G, Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan, civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte among others.
The remittances from the Jamaican Diaspora to the island totaled approximately $2.2 billion last year, making Jamaican emigrants the primary foreign capital source for the island.
Heroes and Heroines
The Jamaican influence on the world is not a new phenomenon. Reggae icon Bob Marley and Jamaica’s national hero Nanny, have all been celebrated for their contributions in advancing the interests of African people the world over.
However, no son or daughter of Jamaica has had a greater impact on the world than Marcus Garvey, who led the largest and most influential movement to advance Black people’s interests in the world.
Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914, “The most dynamic mass movement across territorial borders among the African peoples [during] the 20th century.”
According to international.ucla.edu: “By the early 1920s, the UNIA could count branches on almost every Caribbean island, in Latin America, and every sub-Saharan African country, with membership swelling to 8 million.”
