LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, NEGROES MUST PREPARE NOW
...by Marcus Garvey

Fellow Men of the Negro Race:

As a first step toward the realization of its great objective, a strong Negro nation in africa, the Universal Negro Improvement Association has organized into one great body millions of Negroes throughout the world. The association is now striving to properly advise, guide and direct the great mass of forward looking Negroes in their march to nationhood. Numerous are the pitfalls which must be seen and avoided. With a fair measure of common sense and good judgement we will be able to pass through this very critical period with a minimum of disappointment and failure.

The masses of our people must try hard to learn how to discriminate between the true and the false. If we are not using our minds as well as our ears, it is very easy to be led off on a tangent. Listen well to those who lead so that you may soon discover if they are saying one thing and doing another! There are some Negroes who, because of their own personal purposes, seek to fool the race so as to be able to exploit us. This group gives no care as to what the future holds.

The shortsightedness among our leaders means nothing else but ruin to the entire race. It is for the masses to cut away from such insincere men and women. We do not want any division in the Negro race. But we must have truth. We must have honesty and if our leaders will not give us truth and honesty, we must cut away from them and chose others to direct us.

- The Rt. Ex. Dr. Marcus Garvey

Printed in the Negro World November 28, 1928.

GARVEY SPEAKS Vol.3