Black British History at the British Musuem Reading Room

Reading Room at the British Museum 

I was delighted to find that the Reading Room at the British Museum was open. It’s been closed for several years now, so I couldn’t believe I had the chance to step inside and see the great dome once again. This place holds deep significance for me, particularly when it comes to Black British history. It was here, in 1912, that Marcus Garvey gained access, thanks to a ticket given to him by Duse Mohamed Ali, a property owner who could secure such a pass. Garvey had been working for Ali on The African Times and Orient Review, and it was here where Garvey spent time studying.

One of the books he read was Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington, at the time a bestseller and motivational guide that championed self-help, education, hard work, and self-reliance as the keys to success for Black people. It was Washington’s embodiment of the American Dream—work hard, and you’ll succeed. Garvey, absorbing these ideas, found inspiration in the possibilities education and self-reliance could offer.

Washington’s message, that Black people should uplift themselves from within their own communities because no one else would do it for them, resonated deeply with Garvey. This became a cornerstone of Garvey’s vision, leading him to form the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The very word “improvement” in its name could be traced back to Washington’s ideals of hard work, self-reliance, and education.

Standing in the Reading Room that day, now part of the British Library, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe. This space had literally changed the course of Black history. To be there, where Garvey himself , with the support of Duse Mohamed Ali once studied the works of Booker T. Washington to develop the ideas to create a better world for Black folk, was a great experience, Garvey's historic presence  challenging what Malcolm X  said, “if you want to hide something from Black people, put it in a book.”