Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once called Marcus Garvey “the first man on a mass scale and level to give millions of Negroes a sense of dignity and destiny.” In Baltimore, Charlie Dugger, a former schoolteacher of 46 years, is cut from that same “dignity and destiny” cloth. For 55 years, Dugger has spearheaded celebrations in August in remembrance of the Honorable Marcus Garvey. The 55th Annual Marcus Garvey Day Celebration is August 16, 2025 in Baltimore.
Reflecting on the start of Garvey Day, Dugger reflected, “I graduated from Howard University in 1968. I lived on North Gilmor Street across from Harlem Park. I met a brother named Kojo. Kojo lived around the corner. He was a member of Soul School Institute, a serious cultural educational organization in Baltimore at the time. Kojo would talk to me about a man named Marcus Garvey. Throughout my education, I had never heard of Marcus Garvey. I became fascinated by Garvey. So Kojo and I decided to begin a celebration to honor Marcus Garvey in Harlem Park. It has been great.”
“Marcus Garvey was pivotal to the Harlem Renaissance. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the brother who started Negro History Week, now Black History Month, wrote for Garvey’s publications. Garvey inspired a lot of people,” Dugger said. The Marcus Garvey Day Celebration promotes friendship, fellowship and positive community love and cooperation. Attendees show a positive love for Black people. Quiet and confident. African-centered and cultural.
His work has touched the lives of thousands in Baltimore and the world. That active concern for the community was developed by his family, grade school teachers and his outdoor camp experiences with the Druid Hill YMCA. The “Y” introduced him to the Class “A” Clap, well known to anyone who attends a cultural program involving Charlie Dugger…