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Marcus Garvey

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Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. was a famous leader from Jamaica.

Garvey Statue
Garvey Statue

He was born on August 17, 1887, in Saint Ann's Bay. His family had a good life, but they were not very rich. His father worked as a stonemason. His mother was a domestic servant. As a teenager, Garvey learned the printing trade. He worked in many different places, like London and Panama.

British Museum from NE 2 (cropped)
British Museum from NE 2 (cropped)

These travels helped him see how different people lived.

Garvey wanted to bring people of African descent together. This idea is often called Pan-Africanism. He believed that black people should be proud and independent. To do this, he started a group called the UNIA.

Flag of the UNIA
Flag of the UNIA

The UNIA stood for the Universal Negro Improvement Association. He also started a newspaper called the Negro World.

NegroWorld-July31-1920
NegroWorld-July31-1920

He even started a shipping company named the Black Star Line.

Black Star Line brochure for the SS Phyllis Wheatley
Black Star Line brochure for the SS Phyllis Wheatley

This company was meant to help people travel to Africa.

Garvey's life changed when he moved to the United States. In 1916, he went to New York City. He set up a big UNIA branch in Harlem.

Marcus Garvey speaking at Liberty Hall, Harlem, 1920
Marcus Garvey speaking at Liberty Hall, Harlem, 1920

He became very popular, and the group grew quite large. He held big parades through the streets of Harlem.

UNIA parade in Harlem, 1920
UNIA parade in Harlem, 1920

He even called himself the Provisional President of Africa. He dreamed of a unified Africa that was strong and free.

However, Garvey faced many hard challenges and disagreements. Some civil rights leaders, like W. E. B. Du Bois, did not agree with his ideas. Garvey wanted people to stay separate, while others wanted to work together with white society. In 1923, he was convicted of mail fraud regarding his shipping company.

Black Star Line Stock Certificate
Black Star Line Stock Certificate

He spent nearly two years in a prison in Atlanta.

Federal Penitentiary Atlanta 1920 postcard
Federal Penitentiary Atlanta 1920 postcard

After his time in prison, he was sent back to Jamaica in 1927. He later moved to London, where he lived until he died in 1940.

Even though he was a controversial man, his impact was huge.

Marcus Garvey (1922)
Marcus Garvey (1922)

In Jamaica, he is honored as a national hero. His ideas about pride and unity helped many later movements. These include the Rastafari and the Black Power Movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Many people still look at his life to learn about strength and self-worth. His story shows how one person's ideas can move the whole world.

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Garvey Statue.jpg
Garvey Statue.jpg
File:British Museum from NE 2 (cropped).JPG
British Museum from NE 2 (cropped).JPG
File:Flag of the UNIA.svg
Flag of the UNIA.svg
File:NegroWorld-July31-1920.jpg
NegroWorld-July31-1920.jpg
File:Marcus Garvey speaking at Liberty Hall, Harlem, 1920.png
Marcus Garvey speaking at Liberty Hall,...
File:UNIA parade in Harlem, 1920.jpg
UNIA parade in Harlem, 1920.jpg
File:Black Star Line Stock Certificate.jpg
Black Star Line Stock Certificate.jpg
File:Prinz Oskar hapag.jpg
Prinz Oskar hapag.jpg
File:Marcus Garvey with Amy Jacques Garvey, 1922.png
Marcus Garvey with Amy Jacques Garvey, 1922.png
File:Black Star Line brochure for the SS Phyllis Wheatley.jpg
Black Star Line brochure for the SS...
File:Marcus Garvey 1924-08-05.jpg
Marcus Garvey 1924-08-05.jpg
File:Federal Penitentiary Atlanta 1920 postcard.jpg
Federal Penitentiary Atlanta 1920 postcard.jpg

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