Jamaican and US black nationalist leader. In 1914 Marcus Garvey along with Amy Ashwood founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). After moving to the United States in 1916, he established branches of the UNIA in New York's Harlem and many other ghettos all over the country. Garvey was black and he was proud of it. By 1919 the rising "Black Moses" claimed to have an enormous amount of followers at about 2 million. It was to these people Garvey spoke of a "new Negro," proud of being black. His newspaper Negro World, which was in circulation from 1919 to 1933 ("Encyclopedia of Black..." pg.342), stressed and believed, an independent black economy could exist within the framework of white capitalism. Garvey was one of the main people in establishing black-run businesses, one of which was the Black Star shipping line ("Marcus Garvey Timeline" pg.2). In 1920 he convened an international convention to unify blacks and encourage trade between Africa and the US. On September 10th, 1919 the British colonial secretary authorized the West Indian governments to introduce legislation to suppress The Negro World and other publications considered seditious. However all of Garvey's influence and power was shattered by accusations of mail fraud. Shortly thereafter Garvey was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by George Tyler. Which sadly led to, in 1922, Garvey's influence declining rapidly for being indicted for mail fraud. After serving two years in prison his sentence was revoked and he was deported. This marked the collapse of the first important black-nationalist movement in the US.
Garvey was a very skilled man. His major contributions came in his ability to speak to a crowd and open up people's eyes. It was Garvey who instilled in the African American youth of the Harlem Renaissance a sense of unity with other blacks and taught them to be proud of who they were and proud of being black as he was. Not only was Garvey a skilled speaker but he was a skilled poet as well. He wrote hundreds of poems stating his beliefs and how he felt about the way the world was turning out. It is through these poems that one can see the man Garvey really was. Garvey's works and philosophy represent many things to many people. He believed in one god, one aim, and one destiny for his life ("Marcus Garvey Biography" p.1). His main aim was for the redemption of Africa and to this he devoted everything, as well as his personal life. Many of Garvey's ideas were influenced by the work of and efforts of Jamaican Dr. Robert Love. The two men were keen and active supporters of the dignity and uplift of Black women, particularly young Black girls. Garvey's believes came to carry on to many more significant leaders of the Harlem Renaissance.
Garvey had always wanted his voice and ideas to be heard. He was always hardworking and even began working at thirteen as an apprentice at his godfather's printing business in St. Ann's Bay, the town of his birth ("Marcus Garvey Timeline" pg.1). At the age of twenty-two Garvey got his first shot at reaching out to others and published Garvey's Watchman. However the paper ceased after its third issue. Three years later Garvey moved to London and got a high-class education at Birkbeck College ("Marcus Garvey Biography" p.1). After having many of his articles published in magazines such as the African Times and The Orient Review, Marcus Garvey began gaining more and more ears. His actions such as establishing The Black Star Line and the UNIA provided a solid amount of followers, which created a backbone for the Harlem Renaissance to expand on.
Through Garvey's actions, believes, and himself he created a role model for others to follow. He inspired many during an era not all that long ago. Marcus Garvey should be looked at as a grandfather figure in a sense because if it were not for him, there might not have been a Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks and racism could be at a total different level.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The leader we chose to do possess both transformational and motivational/influential characteristics of a leader. This leader motivated and transformed many lives, encouraging many African Americans to engage in more literature, writing, and reading. Langston Hughes, or by birth, James Mercer Langston Hughes impacted many live during the Harlem Renaissance Era. He was an African American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry who is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the Negro was in vogue" which later change into “when Harlem was in vogue.”…
- 2258 Words
- 10 Pages
Good Essays -
Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican born national came to the United States in 1916 in order to visit Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, Alabama. Booker T. Washington had a great impact on Marcus Garvey and his ideologies, in fact it was after Garvey read Up from Slavery did Garvey really understood the plight of the black man and found his calling to uplift the Negro race socially, economically and politically. As a result Garvey began to as himself questions that would become the catalysis that would start a movement that would propel the black race into a state of awareness and find a connection between them and the mother land Africa. Garvey’s founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. The function of the UNIA was to unite ALL the Negro peoples of the world into one great body to establish a country and government that was their own. Garvey’s movement was on of great support and he established branches of UNIA in thirty-six states and around the world. Garvey also established a journal “Negro World” its function to promote his cause to inform blacks and encourage the transport of people and goods to and from Africa. Although Garvey’s dream was not totally realized the impact his works and mission to unite his people his…
- 929 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance was exposure to the African American Art and culture. It is also unusual among literary and artistic movements for its close relationship to civil rights. The Harlem renaissance set the stage for the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and the 60’s. This was very much black culture exposure. The African American artists intended to express themselves freely, no matter what the black public or white public…
- 1950 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
This came to be known as the Harlem Renaissance and the spark to discrimination towards African immigrants. Native born Americans, clearly showed hatred toward blacks. In addition, in Chicago, July 1919, a white man erupted violence when he caused a teenage Negro, as they were called during this time, to drown in Lake Michigan by throwing rocks at him while swimming. The police refused to arrest anyone causing riots that continued for more than a week. Another threat to African Americans was the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in 1915. This Klan seeked a 100 percent white America therefore they attacked many people but in particular they attacked African Americans to intimidate them. The Klan encouraged nativists and caused fear that the country was being overrun by immigrants so later the Immigration Act of 1924 was established reducing the immigration quota to two percent for each nationality except Asians. Soon after, the Red Scare took place causing the reduction of the Klan’s membership. In response, African Americans began forming organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The NAACP was founded in 1910 to restrain racial violence. It helped create an antilynching campaign to reduce racial murders. The ADL was a work created by a group of Jews in 1913 to put an end to racial discrimination and also worked against the KKK. The UNIA was founded in 1914, by Marcus Garvey when he was deported to Jamaica for mail fraud. This organization’s intended purpose was for Garvey to proclaim his message of a “black nationalist” back in Africa. This movement was known as the Back to Africa Movement. The ACLU was founded in 1920 and was one of the last unions created to help defend constitutional rights, support labor…
- 639 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Martin Luther King was instrumental and pivotal; in the civil rights for black people, and arguably the most important person.…
- 2465 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance was "an explosion of African-American talents and natural born gifts" (Harlem Renaissance: Re-examined 2). Although it was one of the most influential and impacting events when it came to advances in art, literature, entertainment and overall fun, many felt that the Harlem Renaissance itself wasn't so much a celebration of African-American culture, but rather a regurgitation of White principles. But no matter how big the Renaissance was African-Americans were still not accepted into mainstream America.…
- 408 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
People like Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Louis Armstrong. These amazing writers, actors, and musicians were the main reason for the Harlem Renaissance, it started because they were not taken seriously, all because of the color of their skin.…
- 284 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance(Negro Movement) was during 1919-1929 in Harlem, New York. It was a time when African-Americans where able to express themselves through the arts. African-Americans fled from the south to the north because of unfair treatment. This “culture explosion” let African-Americans share their culture through music, literature, and art. A key figure during this time period is Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington was born April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. He was a famous jazz composer that played an important role in jazz history. He composed many songs on stage and performed at many night clubs. During the Harlem Renaissance African expressed themselves for the first time and Ellington helped in the music area. “Ellington created a blend of melodies, rhythms, and subtle sonic movements it was a complex yet accessible jazz.” As Ellington was conveying his own culture he was putting his own twist on the music.” Ellington became famous in the 1940s for the songs Concerto for Cootie “ , “ Cotton Tail” , and “Ko-Ko”. He also toured Europe twice in the 1930s.” Duke Ellington was part of the Harlem Renaissance because he was a jazz composer and he became famous for his wonderful music he created. He showed others his customs and culture through music. He wasn’t the only one their were many other jazz players during the Harlem Renaissance that wanted to express themselves.…
- 561 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
During the Post War era was a period of struggle for African-Americans. Slavery was abolished, but blacks were still oppressed and were in no way equal to whites. Marcus Garvey was a powerful black revolutionary leader; that brought unification and strengths to African Americans throughout the world. He was a man that lives his life with missions. His main goal was to remove segration or move his people back to Africa. He started Universal Negro improvement association and spoked about unjust behavior towards blacks. He inspired people and gave them hope through his speaking, teaching and writings. Garvey’s ideas of Black Nationalism and fighting oppression helped shape the identity of blacks in America during the…
- 116 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance was a time in which African Americans had an intellectual and inventive movement that thrived with the twentieth century. The Harlem renaissance contribution was based on the influential events of the “New Negro Movement” extended throughout the world. After the Civil War, a great number of people migrated to urban areas. Areas like these were such as Chicago or in New York City. This is where a different way of life developed for African Americans. (Fiero, pages 100-101).…
- 330 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance is one of the most influential movements in a minority group's history in the United States of America. The renaissance sparked an awareness of self for Black Americans in the early part of the twentieth century. It was the bringing together of black artists, politicians, musicians, writers, poets, dancers and blacks from all over the country concentrated in Harlem, New York. Harlem became the home of anybody who had dreams of being heard or expressing great talents. It also became the center for radical as well as rational thoughts on the improvement of the condition of Black Americans in society during the late 1900's on up to the 1920's.…
- 1586 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In the early 1900s there was a huge movement of over 6 million African American people from the South to the Northern states, this movement was known as the Great Migration. The Great Migration was huge in African American history because it was the setup for key changes in the lives of African American people. Black people had been so use to slavery and were not really finding jobs in the South so they figured that in the North they would have a better chance. Little did they know, life in the North was no happily ever after ; there was a struggle for jobs, shelter, making a living, and they still didn’t escape racism, but these trails and tribulation shaped the idea of the Harlem Renaissance.…
- 807 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance was not the head of the Civil Rights Movement, but it was the neck because of the products it produced and the bricks it supplied for the house of equality. DuBois, founder of the renaissance, believed “That an educated Black elite should lead Blacks to liberation.”…
- 653 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout this web-quest I have learned many things about the period known as the Harlem Renaissance. I had never recognize the movement for what it truly is. In school I was always taught that the movement was to break down discrimination and racism. That definition is true but that was not the only reason. I learned that this movement wasn’t just to teach whites to respect African Americans. The movement was for African Americans to embrace their talents and show how beautiful Black culture is. It magnified the abilities of amazing artists that before that time have not been given the proper appreciation for their gifts. It was to fix the distorted view of African Americans made by racist white people. I also found some interesting things…
- 221 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
The Harlem Renaissance was one of the most important movements of the twentieth century regarding many art forms and human rights for African American People. It was not only important for African American People, but also, as few know, for this subculture of homosexuals, that began to shape during this time in Harlem, New York City. Eric Garber wrote:…
- 321 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays