On September 25, 1923, thousands gathered along Columbus’s Mount Vernon Avenue for a parade honoring Marcus Garvey, who was visiting the city during a nationwide tour. On the anniversary of this historic event, Africana Studies Professor Dr. Mark Christian and COSI President and CEO Dr. Frederic Bertley will discuss the endurance of Garvey’s legacy, with a focus on the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the Pan-African liberationist organization co-founded by Garvey and his wife Amy Ashwood Garvey in 1914. Dr. Christian's grandfather George Rupert Christian was among the organizers of Columbus’s 1923 parade, while Dr. Bertley's father, historian Dr. Leo Bertley, co-founded Montreal's UNIA chapter and Garvey Institute.
Moderated by CMA Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Daniel Marcus, their conversation will explore how family histories illuminate global histories, and how the ideals of Garveyism and the UNIA resonate more than a century later. Presented in dialogue with Tavares Strachan: The Day Tomorrow Began, this program highlights a key installation in the exhibition, Strachan’s U.N.I.A. Tea Room, which features archival materials from the Bertley family collection.
Program Schedule
4:00–5:00 PM
Reception in Bar Room
5:00–6:00 PM
Frederic Bertley and Mark Christian in Conversation
This program is free for members, $10 for nonmembers, and includes admission to the exhibition.
Use the code "Garvey" when registering online in order to receive free admission.
