A Bermudian teacher has released the first in a series of biographies designed to inspire the Island's children.

'Look for Me in the Whirlwind: A Story of Marcus Garvey' is the first in the Icon Series written by reading specialist Colwyn (Junior) Burchall.

He said as a young person he was deeply inspired by the life of Jamaican civil rights activist, writer and entrepreneur Marcus Garvey (1887-1940).

Mr. Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League in 1914. The society worked for the "general uplift" of African communities around the world.

"I was always an avid reader," said Mr. Burchall. "When I found out that he was able to come out of rural Jamaica and was able to envision himself playing a pivotal role in the transformation of the world – the audacity of that vision blew me away. The sheer guts of it all!"

Mr. Burchall said he admired Mr. Garvey's commitment to doing what he envisioned.

"At the very least it showed me I could contribute something meaningful before I ended up in the ground."

Learning about Mr. Garvey inspired him to be more aggressive about pursuing scholarships to go abroad to school.

Today, he has a Masters degree in Literacy Education from Mount Saint Vincent University.

"It also encouraged me to challenge what I saw as unjust authority," he said.

The Icon Series will feature mostly Bermudians who have helped to make a change for the better in the community. Among them, former Progressive Labour Party leader the late Dame Lois Browne Evans, union activist Barbara Ball and celebrated 18th century slave Sally Bassett.

The title of the first book is based on a famous quote by Mr. Garvey: "Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm."

Mr. Burchall previously worked as a reading specialist in Bermuda schools, but is currently living in Canada with his wife Cherise Carey and their two sons Amari, five, and Ajani, 18 months.

"The people in the series all acted to humanise the part of the world that they live," he said. "We are trying to role out age-appropriate material based on Bermudian change agents."

He said although Mr. Garvey was not Bermudian, he'd made an important contribution globally, and in Bermuda.

"The Universal Negro Improvement Association had a significant presence in Bermuda," said Mr. Burchall. "It was here in Bermuda since about 1920.

"It had quite a history in Bermuda. It was out of the Garveyite movement that black business such as the Quality Bakery and the newspaper Bermuda Recorder sprang.

Mr. Garvey arrived in Bermuda on a ship in the 1920s, intending to speak publically, but he was prevented by the authorities of the day. Not to be deterred, Bermudians went down to the dock, and listened to him speak from the ship. In November, 1928, his wife Amy Jacques Garvey was allowed to speak here, at the Alexandrina Hall.

"It was a speech to champion black racial uplift," said Mr. Burchall. "She told people they could build their own businesses for themselves. It was a very rousing speech that was very well received."

Marcus Garvey died in June 1940, but Mr. Burchall said his legacy went on and on.

"I doubt he lived to see the extent of his impact," said Mr. Burchall. "It still resonates globally to this day. You can see it in religious movements such as the Rastafarian movement, cultural celebrations such as Kwanzaa.

"Later, you can see his influence with civil rights leader Malcolm X and the Black Panther party. It was in the racial self-determination they championed."

As he was writing the book, Mr. Burchall read different parts of it to his students. It was well-received. "The concept of equal rights and justice are principles that all of us should have access to," he said.

He said although there are already books on Bermuda visionaries such as Dame Lois Browne Evans, very few are written for primary school students.

"For the nine-year-old age range, there was very little that I could call upon," he said. "I decided to fill that void myself."

All the books in the series will include a "Breaking Bread" section.

The area will include discussion questions designed to get kids to think further such as 'Do you think having a good education is important to your own growth and success?'.

"From a young age Garvey was all about the pursuit of knowledge in the service of positive transformation of the community," said Mr. Burchall. "He embodied that.

"We want students of all colours to extend themselves beyond their own personal spheres of influence to make an impact that will be felt in a positive way."

Mr. Burchall has been living in Toronto, Canada since last July. He is currently dividing his time between being a stay-at-home dad and freelance writing.

He is also working on the second book in the series, 'Freedom's Flames: Slavery in Bermuda and the True Story of Slavery in Bermuda', which is tentatively scheduled for publication this autumn.

'Look for Me in the Whirlwind' can be found in local bookstores and the People's Pharmacy. It is published locally by Mazi Publications.

The second book in the series will be illustrated by Bermudian Che Caines, 19.

"Che is a phenomenal local artist," said Mr. Burchall. "I am trying to encourage him to take on the series. He is selling pictures for upwards of $5,000.

"His art will definitely take the book to a whole new level. He is currently in university in England." The Icon Series can be found on the social networking site, Facebook.