Marcus Garvey

Jamaican born nationalist leader Marcus Garvey quickly rose in popularity during the World War I era. As quick as his rise in prominence, however, without the support of his ideology from other black leaders, his popularity was brief.

Marcus Garvey’s Early Life

Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica on August 17, 1887. He attended school until he was fourteen. In 1910, he traveled to Central America. He served as the editor for the daily newspaper, La Nacion while living in Colon, Panama. In 1912, he returned to Jamaica, but soon left for London to attend Birbeck College.

Establishing the UNIA

When he returned to Jamaica in 1914, Garvey and Amy Ashwood co-founded the Universal Negro Improvement and Conservation Association and African Communities League. The association became known as the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

Through this organization, Garvey sought to organize blacks throughout the world and create societies in Africa. He also wanted to establish an independent black economy based on capitalism.

Bringing the UNIA to America

In Jamaica, the UNIA failed to attract a substantial following so Garvey came to New York in 1916. He established branches of the UNIA throughout the northern cities. He also began publishing his newspaper, Negro World. His publication incited considerable attention. In Belize and other countries, it was considered seditious and was confiscated.

By 1919, his following had reached 2,000,000. That same year he established the shipping company, the Black Star Line and the Negro Factories Corporation. He also opened a chain of restaurants, grocery stores, laundries, a hotel, and a printing press.

Marcus Garvey’s Demise

The U.S. government began to notice Garvey’s activities. In 1919, the Bureau of Investigation started to monitor his actions. With the intent to eventually deport him, the bureau began to gather evidence of his actions that related to the Black Star Line.

During his peak in popularity, in 1920, he presided over the UNIA’s first international convention. The convention included delegates from 25 countries. Among the actions taken was the adoption of The Declaration of Rights of the Negro People of the World and the election of Garvey as the Provisional President of Africa.

Despite his following, Garvey’s ideology of racial purity and separatism failed to gain the support of black leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois. In addition, in 1922, the Black Star Line was dissolved. Garvey’s other businesses also failed. Garvey received an additional blow when he was indicted for mail fraud for the sale of Black Star Line stock. In 1923, he was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. In 1925, he began serving his prison sentence. After President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence in 1927, he was deported to Jamaica. He died in obscurity in London, England in 1940.