Untitled (Garvey Day Deedee in Car)

Garvey Day is an annual event honoring Marcus Garvey, who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League in 1914. Garvey and activists who continued his legacy, such as Carlos Cook (whose public lectures Brathwaite attended in his youth), advocated for Black economic independence and political unity between those living in Africa and in the Diaspora. Garvey and his peers developed this philosophy at a time when segregation was still legal in the United States, and their ideas gained popularity as the struggle for equal rights continued in the 1960s.

Brathwaite embraced self-empowerment and Panafricanism in his life and work in numerous ways, including by showcasing natural hairstyles, documenting celebrations such as Garvey Day, and supporting Black-owned businesses.