Robert Nesta Marley: A Brief Biography

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Robert (Bob) Nesta Marley
Robert Nesta Marley was born Feb 6, 1945 in the small village Nine Miles, St. Ann Jamaica. He was raised by his mother, an eighteen-year-old black Jamaican native name Cedella Booker. His father, Captain Norval Marley, was a 50-year-old white quartermaster attached to the British West Indian Regiment. Although Captain Marley never saw his family, and was often criticized and ridiculed because of it, he financially supported Cedella and Bob.
Bob biracial ethnicity caused him to grow up feeling like an outcast in Jamaica. It was hard for him to associate and fit in with the community because of this lighter skin and absent father which he was always getting teased about. In 1955, when Bob Marley was only 10, his father Norvel died from a heart attack. Bob and his mom then moved to Kingston, Jamaica and settled into a town called Trench town which were one of the slums in Jamaica. At the age of 14 he quit school to pursue his dream and ambition for music.
Bob then became one of the world first reggae singers, and since his music was great, he was able to relay his ultimate message of peace and equality through his music. Gathering many fans and followers of peace, Bob Marley used his popularity and momentum to shift his efforts from writing about peace to actually acting on peace. He became a political voice for the oppressed youth of Jamaica.
I chose Robert Nesta Marley because I believe he clearly demonstrates 3 out of the 4 elements of civic engagement. Throughout his short life as a musician and a strong political voice for the youth of Jamaica, Bob Marley has shown significant examples of Association, Serving, and Leadership.
Association:
On page 3 of the CER, the book explains the association is ...

... middle of paper ...

...is popularity and momentum to put towards social political efforts. He then became the political voice of youth Jamaica, which was the most oppressed amongst the social groups. He also used his musical popularity to enlighten the world of the Rastafarian ways of life. Even today, as his popularity still increases, his leadership and message of peace and equality are still heard by fans and followers around the world.

Works Cited
Davis, Adam, and Elizabeth Lynn. The Civically Engaged Reader: A Diverse Collection of Short Provocative Readings on Civic Activity. Chicago: Great Foundation, 2006. Print.
"BobMarley.com | The Official Site of Bob Marley." Bobmarley.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley
"Bob Marley." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Bob-Marley-

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