Review of Adam Ewing's The Age of Garvey: How a Jamaican Activist Created a Mass Movement and Changed Global Black Politics

Adam Ewing's book, The Age of Garvey: How a Jamaican Activist Created a Mass Movement and Changed Global Black Politics (2016), illustrates the climate that gave rise to twentieth-century Pan-Africanism, and specifically, Garveyism. Notably, Ewing does not delve into either the life of Marcus Garvey or his philosophy at the onset of his book. This is intentional so that he can contextualize the core themes of the book and introduce twentieth-century questions of race. His core themes include Pan-Africanism, black self-determination, and discourse around black leadership, and Garvey's efforts are examples of these themes as much as they are results of them. It is important to explore the impact of these themes both globally and within the United States, as well as how they may have changed the way blacks assert their understanding of race. The Age of Garvey (2016) provides valuable insight into the birth and spread of the Pan- Africanist movement, as well as grapples with problems faced within the movement, such as leadership, strategy, and how to unite blacks