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The Black Woman
Black queen of beauty,
thou hast given color to the world!
Among other women thou
art royal and the fairest!
Like the brightest of jewels
in the regal diadem,
Shin'st thou, Goddess of Africa,
Nature's purest emblem!
Black men worship at thy
virginal shrine of truest love,
Because in thine eyes
are virtue's steady and holy mark,
As we see in no other,
clothed in silk or fine linen,
From ancient Venus,
the Goddess, to mythical Helen.
When Africa stood at the
head of the elder nations,
The Gods used to travel from
foreign lands to look at thee:
On couch of costly
Eastern materials, all perfumed,
Reclined thee, as in thy path
flow'rs were strewn-sweetest
that bloomed.
Thy transcendent marvelous beauty
made the whole world mad,
Bringing Solomon to tears
as he viewed thy comeliness;
Anthony and the elder Ceasars
wept at thy royal feet,
Preferring death than
to leave thy presence,
their foes to meet.
You, in all ages,
have attracted the adoring world,
And caused many a
bloody banner to be unfurled:
You have sat upon exalted
and lofty eminence,
To see a world fight
in your ancient African defense.
Today you have been dethroned,
through the weakness of your men,
While, in frenzy,
those who of yore craved
your smiles and your hand
Those who were all monsters
and could not with love approach you
Have insulted your pride
and now attack your good virtue.
Because of disunion you
became mother of the world,
Giving tinge of robust
color to five continents,
Making a greater world
of millions of colored races,
Whose claim to beauty
is reflected through our black faces.
From the handsome Indian
to European brunette,
There is a claim for that
credit of their sunny beauty
That no one can e'er
to take from thee,
Queen of all women
Who have borne trials
and troubles and racial burden.
Once more we shall,
in Africa, fight and conquer for you,
Restoring the pearly crown
that proud Queen Sheba did wear:
Yea, it may mean blood,
it may mean death;
but still we shall fight,
Bearing our banners to
Vict'ry, men of Afric's might.
Superior Angels look like
you in Heaven above,
For thou art fairest,
queen of the seasons,
queen of our love,
No condition shall make us ever
in life desert thee,
Sweet Goddess of the ever green land
and placid blue sea.
February 28, 1927
Marcus Garvey
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