(1887–1940). In the early 20th century many African Americans were looking for ways to a better life. In the big cities particularly, they suffered from poor living conditions and racism, and the ideas of Jamaican-born leader Marcus Garvey attracted attention. Garvey encouraged blacks to take pride in themselves and to rediscover their heritage. He offered ideas on how blacks could improve their economic situation and he pushed for the formation of an independent black nation in Africa. His methods and goals, however, met with disapproval from some black leaders. Early lifeMarcus Moziah Garvey, the youngest of 11 children, was born on August 17, 1887, in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica. He attended local schools and became a printer's apprentice at the age of 14. During his 20s Garvey became very interested in African history and culture. He also decided he wanted to help improve conditions for black people. In 1907 he led a printer's strike in Kingston, Jamaica. He later went to Central and South America, where he helped plantation laborers who worked on large farms. He lived in London, England, from 1912 to 1914, and while he was there he met blacks from many different places. CareerGarvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement and Conservation Association and African Communities League, usually called the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), in 1914 in Jamaica. When the group did not receive much notice in his homeland, Garvey went to the United States in 1916 and soon established a branch office in Harlem in New York City. To help create a sense of pride among black people, Garvey founded Negro World, a newspaper that talked about black heroes and presented information on black culture. Garvey also felt that blacks needed to be economically strong to be respected, so he founded several black-owned businesses. His desire for blacks to unite led his association to push for the building of a black-governed nation in Africa. The UNIA came to be popular among poor blacks from urban areas. By 1919 Garvey claimed a following of 2 million, but the exact number of association members was never clear. In 1920 he organized an international convention that had representatives from 25 countries. The event ended with an elaborate parade of some 50,000 people through the streets of Harlem. A number of black leaders of the time felt Garvey was too showy. Some disliked that he wanted blacks and whites to stay away from one another. Garvey gained many enemies for his approval of the Ku Klux Klan—a white racist group that often harmed blacks—because it sought to separate the races. Garvey ran into other problems that caused him to lose support. His Black Star Line steamship company failed due to poor management, and in 1925 Garvey was convicted of mail fraud and sentenced to jail time. Later lifeAfter serving two years of a five-year prison term, Garvey's sentence was shortened by U.S. president Calvin Coolidge in 1927. Although released from prison that year, Garvey was deported, or sent back, to Jamaica. He tried to spark interest in the UNIA there and in London, but he never reached the same level of success. Garvey died on June 10, 1940, in London. In 1964 he was named Jamaica's first national hero and was reburied there. Some of his ideas became popular again in the United States during the 1960s. |