Patrina Pink, Gleaner Intern

EIGHTY-ONE years after its founding, Marcus Garvey's People's Political Party (PPP) has received a makeover by the hand of a small but passionate group of new-generation Garveyites.

The PPP meets Thursday nights at the Monica Bernard building on East Street in downtown Kingston, mere minutes away from the famous Edelweiss Park, the scene of Garvey's rallies and concerts in the 1930s. Its membership is small but meetings are loud and the doors are often wide open.

Often a random homeless person will peep inside, curious about the discussion at hand. Party members said they aim to embrace outsiders in the same spirit Garvey, black-pride philosopher and Jamaica's first national hero, embraced the poor masses of Jamaica.

The anniversary of Garvey's birth, in 1887, was celebrated yesterday. He died in 1940.

Miguel Lorne, head of the PPP, told The Gleaner that the group was in a transformational phase and sought to wrest political power from the hands of the two powerhouses - the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People's National Party (PNP) - by 2020.

"Our first mission was to protect, revise and solidify the legacy of the Honourable Marcus Garvey," said Lorne.

"Now that we've done that, we are looking towards representational politics but we are in a building phase. But we recognise that it's not just about representational politics, work can be done outside Parliament. We must enlighten the people," he added.

As part of the 'enlightenment' thrust, the PPP has organised a number of book drives and has established a fishing cooperative in Port Morant, St Thomas. Lorne said the party has also created several cultural club groups in different parts of the island.

The PPP leader said he was also encouraged by the municipal election result in 2007 when the party tested the waters in the Alexandria, Linstead and Mt Salem divisions. In total, the party polled almost 400 votes on what party members describe as a meagre campaign budget. The PPP said it has also been receiving calls from Jamaica's African community to set up branches in Mandeville, Spanish Town and St Thomas.

Resurgent GARVEYITES

Canvassing of the party reveals an ageing membership. Leon Burrell, 25, and Orlington Seaton, 32, are two of the party's youngest recruits. Burrell holds a master's in history from the University of the West Indies, Mona. Seaton, a Rastafarian, hasn't attended university but believes that he, too, is a g****-roots scholar who clings to the teachings of Garvey.

The two men are polar opposites - one is Christian, the other Rastafarian - yet they represent what the PPP hopes to will become a movement of progressive Garveyites.

"More youths need to read Garvey because he provides the answers to our problems from all angles the social political economic spiritual ... . Garvey's philosophy and his party are the best plan to uplift black people that I've ever heard," said Burrell, his voice resonating with conviction.

Seaton stressed the need for young people to embrace Garvey as the way forward.

"We need to get rid of this queen as head of state in this country. How can you claim independence when your head of state resides in Britain?

"Young people need to move out of this mindset and listen to the teachings of Garvey and other pan-Africanists."

FULL GARVEYISM

Lorne argued Garveyism has been hijacked and sanitised by the political elite but said the PPP was committed to full-fledged Garveyism.

"The two parties ensured that Marcus Garvey could not survive. They made sure he could not get a foothold and truncated his programme.

"That is what makes it so hard, politically, to make it on stream but we are committed to full Garveyism, not the tokenism that both parties have used in their songs," he insisted.

Lorne labelled the electoral process corrupt, noting that people are often forced to vote, particularly in so-called garrison constituencies.

"Third parties don't do well because people do not have a fair choice. When that day comes, they will dislodge the PNP and JLP," he said