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Ke'Shunta Drake is an Assistant Editor at Historianspeaks.org. She is a graduate student at Michigan State University where she is completing studies in English literature
In the 21st century, Garveyism has come to symbolize the unification of African descended people worldwide. The person most responsible for this movement was Marcus Garvey, the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), one of the largest Pan-Africanist movements in human history. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born on August 17, 1887 in Saint Anne's, Jamaica. His involvement as a teenager in trade unions laid the groundwork for the eventual establishment of the UNIA. In 1914, Garvey established the UNIA in Jamaica. Two years later, Garvey emigrated to the United States and set up a second branch of the organization in Harlem, New York. Garvey’s vision for the organization involved assembling a coalition of African descended people to combat racism and colonialism.
The UNIA’s membership was global with branches on four continents. The components of the organization became the model for Black nationalist organizations in the twentieth century. The UNIA promoted Black pride and political and economic empowerment for African descended people regardless of gender. The organization’s components included the African Legion, a Black military organization and provisional army; Black Cross Nurses, a health and human welfare organization administered by trained Black women medical personnel; The Black Star Line, a shipping and freight company devoted to the transport of goods and international commerce; and the Negro Factories Corporation, a sophisticated factory and warehousing operation. Black women played a significant role in all aspects of the organization. Garvey’s Black Star Line was cofounded and directed by his first wife, Amy Ashwood. Ashwood also helped to establish The Negro World, the official organ of the UNIA. Amy Jacques Garvey, his second wife was the editor of the Negro Worldand she edited and published The Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Socially and culturally, Garveyism encouraged Black people to dismiss European standards of beauty and embrace their African features. Garvey encouraged his followers to dismiss skin lightening agents and hair straighteners; he urged them to "take the kinks out of your mind, instead of out of your hair…” Garvey's concepts of Black pride and social and political empowerment made his movement increasingly popular in the early twentieth century and beyond
Garveyism become the foundation of Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism. His ideas influenced many popular movements including The Black Power and Rastafarian movements. They also influenced Black organizations such as The Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party, and the Moorish Science Temple of America. The names of the components of the UNIA remain immensely popular in the Black world. The Black Star Line is just one example of this popularity It is the inspiration for the Black star on the Ghanaian flag. The flag stands for the emancipation of Africa and unity against colonialism. The Black Star Line also influenced the Ghanaian national football team’s nickname "Black Stars." In popular culture, numerous Black musical groups have adopted the name "Black Star Liner" and" Black Star." Garvey also coined the phrase “Black is Beautiful.”
Garvey's UNIA and global organization devoted to Black empowerment garnered the attention of consular officials worldwide as well as J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the Bureau of Investigation (precursor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation). In 1919, J. Edgar Hoover charged Garvey with mail fraud. This event set in motion a chain of events that led to his imprisonment in Atlanta and deportation to Jamaica in 1927. Garvey later settled in London, England where he died in 1940. After his death, Garvey became Jamaica's first national hero, and was given the title “Father of Pan-Africanism. Garvey's dedication to the upliftment of Black people makes him a significant figure in Black history and culture.