Boy, 9, passionate about Marcus Garvey’s work

Nine-year-old Annu Yah Kahdi Stewart dreams of one day becoming an influential leader, like Marcus Garvey, Jamaica's first national hero who advocated for the upliftment of black people.

Stewart, who is homeschooled, has co-authored a book on Garvey, and has his own YouTube channel, Star Seed Annu Talks, a platform through which he recites Garvey's powerful words that were spoken by the Pan-Africanist.

The Trelawny-based youngster told THE WEEKEND STAR that Garvey's legacy has inspired him, which has given him hope to one day make a similar impact.

"Marcus became a leader and my dream is to become a leader as well, to help make black people feel good about themselves. That is the reason I want to become a leader to make my race understand that we are a strong race," Stewart said.

Garvey, who was born in St Ann's Bay, St Ann, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, which inspired the Pan-African philosophy known globally as Garveyism. He was also a staunch believer in self-love and self-reliance, which has not been lost on young Stewart.

Feel proud of being black

"What I admire about him is that he stayed positive when it wasn't so good. He maintained his blackness and made people feel proud of being black," he said.

Stewart's father, Imara, said that he was exposed to Garvey's works and other literature on black empowerment at an early age.

"From early as five or six years old he has been reading Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. I have exposed him to a lot of things which has helped him to articulate himself tremendously," said the senior Stewart, who is a musician.

Beverly Edwards, mother of the young 'Garvey scholar', said that many persons have expressed an admiration for her son's ability to recite Garvey's work.

"Many are in awe about this little boy who quotes Marcus Garvey's works. He doesn't just recite the quotes, but he explains them in his own way," said Edwards, while adding that people have said that young Stewart's interest is a rarity for children his age.

Although he loves to read and spend time reading history books, Edwards said that her son makes time to do fun stuff.

"Annu loves to play and if you don't mind he plays for the entire day. But what we try to do is to create a balance. It is not always book, book, book. He gets his time for recreational activities," she said.