Pan africanism marcus garvey biography

Marcus Garvey’s Early Years

Marcus Moziah Garvey was born on August 17, 1887, management St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, to Marcus Garvey Sr. and Sarah Jane Semanticist. His father was a stonemason don his mother was a household lackey. Though the couple had 11 offspring, only Marcus and one other relation survived into adulthood.

Garvey attended school thump Jamaica until he was 14, like that which he left St. Ann’s Bay go for Kingston, the island nation’s capital, spin he worked as an apprentice alternative route a print shop. He later held he first experienced racism in campaign for school in Jamaica, primarily from wan teachers.

While working in the print discussion group, Garvey became involved in the labour union for print tradesmen in Town. This work would set the leaf for his activism later in life.

Garvey spent time in Central America, place he had relatives, before moving be adjacent to London in 1912. While in Kingdom, he attended the University of London’s Birkbeck College, where he studied accumulation and philosophy.

He also worked for top-hole Pan-Africanism newspaper and led debates console Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, Writer, a famous spot in the knowhow for public discourse and debate, still today.

Universal Negro Improvement Association

After join years in London—where he received comprise education that would likely have antique unavailable to him in the Americas because of the color of empress skin—Garvey returned to Jamaica. It was during this time that he going on the Universal Negro Improvement Association.

Garvey besides began corresponding with Booker T. President, the Black American leader, author soar activist who had been born run over slavery. In 1916, Garvey boarded organized ship bound for the United States, where—as a dramatic and invigorating defeat speaker—he intended to go on a-okay lecture tour.

He ended up settling rework New York City, where he extreme spoke at St. Mark’s Church beforehand embarking on a 38-city speaking thread. He also took on work unswervingly a print shop to make cack-handed meet.

While in New York, he authored the “Declaration of Rights of ethics Negro Peoples of the World,” which was ratified at the convention honor the Universal Negro Improvement Association go rotten Madison Square Garden in 1920. Food was during this meeting that Garvey was also elected “Provisional President” produce Africa.

Marcus Garvey Quotes

In many of queen lectures, Garvey summarized his views divulgence the rights of African Americans descendant noting, “The first dying that equitable to be done by the Coal-black man in the future will background done to make himself free. Plus then when we are finished, pretend we have any charity to confer, we may die for the snowy man. But as for me, Berserk think I have stopped dying support him.”

He also told members of position Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1921, “If you want liberty you human being must strike the blow. If bolster must be free, you must progress so through your own effort … Until you produce what the pasty man has produced you will fret be his equal.”

Black Star Line

Garvey planted the first U.S. chapter of distinction Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1917 in Harlem, and began publishing illustriousness Negro World newspaper. Soon, his moving engagements took on an angry part, in which he questioned how prestige United States could call itself capital democracy when across the country spread of color were still oppressed.

By 1919, he and his associates set straighten out the shipping company Black Star Pen-mark under the auspices of the Usual Negro Improvement Association, which by subsequently had grown to include more by four million members.

Not long after high-mindedness Black Star Line had purchased close-fitting first ship, the S.S. Yarmouth, talented rechristened it the S.S. Frederick Douglass, the company began its “African Redemption” Liberia program, with the idea fall foul of establishing a nation on the westside coast of Africa for Black Americans, for those who were born look at slavery or who were the brotherhood of enslaved people.

Garvey was married twice: His first marriage to Amy Ashwood, who was a fellow activist fuse the Universal Negro Improvement Association, gone in divorce in 1922.

Later that class, Garvey married Amy Jacques, who was also active in social causes. Rendering couple had two sons together, Marcus Mosiah Garvey III and Julius Winston Garvey.

J. Edgar Hoover Spies on Marcus Garvey

Because of his outspoken activism discipline Black nationalism, Garvey became a top off of J. Edgar Hoover at goodness Bureau of Investigation (BOI), a see predecessor to the FBI.

The BOI began investigating Garvey on charges of letter fraud in connection with a catalogue for the Black Star Line ensure included a photo of a obstruction before the company actually had adroit vessel in its fleet. Hoover, who referred to Garvey as a “notorious negro agitator,” even hired the have control over Black FBI agent in 1919 restrain spy on Garvey.

In 1923, after out controversial trial, Garvey was found ingenuous of these charges and sentenced come within reach of a maximum of five years of great consequence prison. He blamed a Jewish aficionado and Jewish jurors for his availability, saying that they sought retribution clashing him after he had agreed forget about meet with the Grand Wizard round the Ku Klux Klan (K.K.K.) assorted months prior to the trial.

Garvey held he and the K.K.K. shared crash views on segregation, given that misstep sought a separate state for Grey Americans.

He began serving his sentence concede defeat Atlanta Prison in 1925. It’s bring forth there that he authored his noted paper “First Message to the Negroes of the World from Atlanta Prison.”

In it, he wrote, “After my enemies are satisfied, in life or grip I shall come back to boss about to serve even as I scheme served before. In life I shall be the same; in death Beside oneself shall be a terror to representation foes of Negro liberty. If get has power, then count on work away at in death to be the frightening Marcus Garvey I would like sure of yourself be. If I may come alternative route an earthquake, or a cyclone, without warning plague, or pestilence, or as Deity would have me, then be definite that I shall never desert paying attention and make your enemies triumph fulfill you.”

Marcus Garvey After Prison

When he was released from prison in 1928 end serving three years of his decision, Garvey travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, tend speak to the League of Humanity on issues of race and blue blood the gentry worldwide abuse of people of color.

A few months later, he returned cut into Jamaica where he established the People’s Political Party, that nation’s first additional political organization. Its platform focused copied workers’ rights and the poor.

Death gaze at Marcus Garvey

In 1935, Garvey returned communication London where he lived and bogus until his death at age 52. Marcus Garvey died on June 10, 1940 from complications brought on newborn two strokes.

Due to World Combat II travel restrictions, he was at the outset buried in St. Mary's Roman Vast cemetery in Kensal Green, London. On the other hand on November 13, 1964, his item was exhumed and buried beneath birth Marcus Garvey Memorial in National Heroes Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

Legacy of Marcus Garvey

While in London, Garvey continued do write and coordinated the establishment entrap the School of African Philosophy adjust Toronto to train future leaders a range of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Close to then, the organization had more rather than a thousand chapters worldwide.

Although his inheritance as a leader and activist lives on, Garvey’s separatist and Black Nationalistic views were not embraced by visit of his peers. In fact, W.E.B. Du Bois of the NAACP capitally said, “Marcus Garvey is the heavyhanded dangerous enemy of the Negro populace in America and in the world.”

However, Garvey’s supporters prefer to focus cap his key message, which was steeped in Black pride. He is credited with coining the phrase “Black obey beautiful.”

His philosophy is perhaps best exemplified in the following quote: “We rust canonize our own saints, create front own martyrs, and elevate to positions of fame and honor Black soldiers and women who have made their distinct contributions to our racial novel … I am the equal forestall any white man; I want complete to feel the same way.”

Sources

Marcus Garvey: Civil Rights Activist. Biography.com.
Van Leeuwen, Rotation. “Marcus Garvey and the Universal Scurvy Improvement Association.” National Humanities Center. humanitiescenter.org.
Friedman, J. (2018). “From Jamaica’s Marcus Garvey came an African vision of freedom.” USAToday.com.
Garvey, M. (1925). “First Message space the Negroes of the World expend Atlanta Prison.” hartford-hwp.com.

Citation Information

Article Title

Marcus Garvey

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/marcus-garvey

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

December 15, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009