Marcus Garvey “Africa for the Africans” Power point create by Robert L. Martinez Primary Content Source: Speaking of America: Vol. II, Laura A. Belmonte

Marcus Garvey led the first large-scale black nationalist movement in U.S. history.

Born in Jamaica, Garvey left school at the age of fourteen and worked as a printer.

He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, a fraternal organization to promote black business and identity.

Enraged by the racial unrest of the World War I era, Garvey embraced racial separation.

He used his powerful oratorical skills to advocate black racial pride and economic self-sufficiency.

Drawing as many as 2 million members, he established UNLA chapters in several U.S. cities.

To finance and strengthen his movement, Garvey launched black-owned restaurants, stores, laundries, a hotel, and a toy factory that manufactured black dolls. Black newspaper began by Marcus Garvey

In 1919, he incorporated the Black Star Line, a shipping company for transporting blacks between America and Africa. Yarmouth, first ship in the Black Star liner fleet.

Garvey hosted an international UNLA conference attended by delegates from twenty-five nations.

But Garvey’s successes proved short- lived. In 1922, following allegations of mail fraud in the Black Star operation. Garvey received a five-year prison term.

After serving two years, his sentence was commuted by President Calvin Coolidge. President Calvin Coolidge

In 1927, Garvey was deported as an undesirable alien and never returned to the United States.

Sometimes criticized, Garvey’s ideas profoundly affected future generations of black activists, including Malcolm X.

“Africa for Africans…the negro peoples of the world should concentrate…building up for themselves a great nation in Africa.”

“It is a question of a few more years when Africa will be completely colonized by Negroes, as Europe is by the white race…What we want is an independent African nationality…”

“It is hoped that when the time comes…the brotherly co-operation which will make the interest of the African native and the American and West Indian Negro one and the same…”

“… that is to say, we shall enter into a common partnership to build up Africa in the interest of our race.” - Marcus Garvey New York, April 18,