7 Facts About Marcus Garvey’s Friend, Duse Mohamad Ali You May Not Know

By Ricky Riley | Published on September 21, 2015

Early Life

Duse Mohamad Ali (November 21, 1866 – June 25, 1945) was born to an Egyptian father who served in the army and a Sudanese mother during the French and English occupation of Egypt. Ali was expected to become a doctor but his love for writing and acting pushed him into the arts.

Going to England

When his father died in battle during the Urabi Uprising and the British Bombardment of Alexandria in 1882, Ali was traveling back and forth between Egypt and England. At only 16, he stayed in England to attend King’s College and eventually went on to the University of London to finish up his education. In his early years of being in England, Ali began to get involved with the arts and political scene. He saw firsthand the damage English colonization had on Egypt, courtesy of his father’s death.

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