1924 or 1925, New York, USA
This is described as an 'interview' in various sources but the audio is a long monologue. it is believed to have taken place prior to 1825, after Garvey was charged with mail fraud, but before he went to prison.
May I say something to you to give you a true knowledge of yourself and life, so that the same glory and success obtained by other men who understand themselves may be yours? Man in the full knowledge of himself is a superb and supreme creature of creation. When man becomes possessor of the knowledge of himself, he becomes master of his environment, the captain of his own ship, the director of his own destiny, the accomplisher of his own ends. Man should understand himself because man is full of knowledge and this knowledge is a gift of nature. When Mother Nature created man, she deprived him of nothing. He was given the faculty of understanding all things around him. And this faculty for understanding has not been taken away from him. None of his senses have been taken away from him. So there is no excuse for the black man in lacking the knowledge that man has used to beautify the world and produce all that he needs for his happiness and civilization. Look the world over, and whatever you see in it that is pleasing to man, contributing to man’s comfort, to his needs, and to his satisfaction—it is but the work of man, man blessed with the knowledge of himself and the understanding of all things around him. If you are able to live with the knowledge of yourself and with the greater knowledge of nature, you must know what is good and what is not, you must know what is finite, you must know that which is material, physical, and otherwise is at your disposal to create or otherwise use. …
If we leave America, and go over to the east of Japan, they will be telling their fellow citizens of Japan, the wonderful accomplishments of the Japanese people, proving that man is moving onwards as time moves on.
But you, you have hated yourselves as you’ve done in previous years, you have shown malice, prejudice and hate to each other. The result is that while other races have made progress,.while India has made progress through it's nationalism, while Ireland has made progress through it's republicanism, while the whole world has made progress in man’s accomplishments, you still stand fighting yourselves, dishonouring yourselves, showing no disposition toward that higher life, so that you will be abundantly blessed.
So reflect and think that you were created for some purpose, other than exhibiting malice towards your neighbour or fellow men of your own race. What a pity it is that we cannot stand united without the written law? There is no written law compelling other races to stand together? They are brought together by the gentle touch of nature. The unwritten law of nature causes them to stand together on all occasions, so wheresoever you will find them in the field. That one gentle touch of nature causes them to stand together, if need be die together.
But with the Black man, you can preach to him from the pulpit, you lecture from the platform, from the byways and the hedges, the spirit of cooperation, but he will not cooperate. You talk to him gently, you try talking harshly, and he will still not cooperate.
The result is that he falls prey to those who understand themselves, and walk through the world making you their serfs and slaves. You must acquire an understanding of yourselves!
A longer version of the interview is here