Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Fab 5 Freddy Honored

The Marcus Garvey Memorial Foundation will showcase an event entitled "Black Star Over Brooklyn: A Story of Garvey and Garveyism," which serves to recognize and honor ten Brooklynites, both leaders and artists, whose life-works embody the ideals and philosophies of Marcus Mosiah Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The event aims to bring together […]

The Marcus Garvey Memorial Foundation will showcase

an event entitled "Black Star Over Brooklyn: A Story of Garvey and Garveyism,"

which serves to recognize and honor ten Brooklynites, both leaders and artists,

whose life-works embody the ideals and philosophies of Marcus Mosiah Garvey

and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The event aims to bring together

people of all ages from the Hip-Hop, Bebop, and Garvey generations to share

in this rich legacy in Brooklyn.

A cross-section of extraordinary social, cultural, and religious figures will

be publicly recognized at this event. Some of the

honorees include: Mos Def, rap artist and actor who is one-half of the hip-hop

duo known as Black Star (named after the Garvey steamship company “Black

Star Line”); Talib Kweli, rap artist who is the other half of the duo Black

Star and one-half of the duo Reflection Eternal; AZ, Garvey-inspired Brooklyn

rap artist; Fab Five Freddy, hip-hop pioneer and entrepreneur; Max Roach, a

Garveyite who is one of the most influential jazz drummers of all time and who

is among the founders of the Bebop jazz movement; Randy Weston, jazz pianist

and musical visionary who is world-renowned for his collaborations with a variety

of African musicians; Rev. Dr. Gardner Taylor, Pastor Emeritus of Concord Baptist

Church, civil rights leader for the last 50 years, and widely heralded as the

Dean of African-American preachers; and Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Crawford, both of

whom gave many years of their lives to advancing the interests of people of

African descent in Brooklyn.

Arnold Crawford served as President of the Brooklyn

division of the U.N.I.A. for several decades, was a member of the U.N.I.A. For

over 50 years, and is one of the founding members of the Marcus Garvey Memorial

Foundation.

This event represents a rare occasion where the many contributions of Brooklyn

will be recognized and celebrated. Moreover, never before have these community

members been honored together within the context of Garvey and his legacy.

The event is taking place Saturday August 24th,

at 1:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library in New York City. The library is

located at Grand Army Plaza between Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Ave and is

free and open to the public.