The Mosaic Archetype

Abstract

My research analyzes the concept of the “black Moses” and its contribution to the religio-political leadership of black American communities. The study focused on Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey and Dr. Martin Luther King. These three leaders embraced the title of “black Moses” as a sort of non-canonical rank within black leadership. I termed this phenomenon, “mosaic archetype,” meaning that the title “black Moses” refers to the story of Exodus as a grounds for religious and political authority. The narrative of these three leaders is often spoken of in terms of enslavement, exile and journey, mirroring the Children of Israel that Moses led to the Promised Land. This archetype is not to be confused with Jungian terminology, but I employ it simply to mean “model.” The goal of my research was to explicate the usage of the Exodus narrative to give greater meaning to the Abolitionist, Black Nationalist and Civil Rights Movements.