Item
Agent
Leonard Percival Howell (1898-1981)
- Summary Label
- Rastafarian movement leader and black nationalism activist.
- Title
- Leonard Percival Howell (1898-1981)
- Date of Birth
- June 16, 1898
- Date of Death
-
February 25, 1981
- gender
- Male
- Hometown or Region
- Red Hills, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
- Freedom Status
- Free
- Occupation
- Biographer
- Biography
-
Leonard Howell was born June 16th, 1898, in Red Hills - which is a district of Clarendon Parish, Jamaica. At this time Red Hills was an extremely violent environment. Young Howell experienced this violence throughout the developmental stage of his life, he realized he deserved more. Leonard Howell is an important historical actor within the African diaspora because he was the first prophet of the Rastafarian movement as well as a renowned activist devoted to Black Nationalism. Howell was able to gain many followers for his movement quickly due to his community connections. Howell, living most of his life in Jamaica did not move around too much. While yes, he lived in the United States for a large portion of his young adult years, he lived most of his life in Jamaica. Leonard Howell was able to change the mindset of many displaced Black Jamaicans as he helped culminate hope that seemed like a light at the end of the long dark tunnel of generational suffering. Howell while being somewhat radical in belief, worked and or shared opinions with the likes of Marcus Garvey, Claude McKay, Fitz Ballantine Pettersburgh, and Shepherd Robert Athlyi Rogers. Even if Howell tended to be somewhat unorthodox of a leader, he was able to offer his fellow Rastafarians so much. Leonard Howell died in Kingston on February 25th, 1981.
- See Map on Leonard Howell
- Connected Historical Actor(s)
- Claude McKay & Haile Selassie
- Student Researcher
- Teddy Dearing