Over many centuries, the struggle for racial equality has seen the emergence of many intriguing figures, accompanied by controversial viewpoints. One of the most prominent and contentious figures is Marcus Garvey. Unlike many others who fought for equality, Garvey did not advocate for integration but called on Black people to return to Africa to establish a unified state exclusively for Africans.
Known by many as the “Moses of the Black people,” Marcus Garvey was a deliberate separatist, yet he built a large following across the globe.
Marcus Garvey’s youth.
Marcus Garvey was born on August 17, 1887, into a relatively affluent family in Saint Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. In his youth, he worked in the printing industry, where he was exposed to ideas about trade unions and the labor movement. Still a teenager, Garvey left Jamaica to travel around Central America. By 1914, he moved to London, where he lived for two years before returning to his homeland, Jamaica.
After returning to Jamaica in 1914, Garvey, along with a group of friends, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and the African Communities League. The organization, often referred to simply as the UNIA, aimed to promote pride within the Black community and improve the living conditions of African communities.
Marcus Garvey arrived in the United States.
In 1916, Marcus Garvey moved to the United States, bringing his organization with him and establishing a branch of the UNIA in Harlem, New York. His first speech there was a major failure: Garvey was booed and even fell off the stage. However, instead of being discouraged, he continued to speak before crowds and quickly gained a large following. After speaking in New York, he went on a tour across the United States, delivering speeches in 38 states.
When the United States entered World War I, Garvey volunteered to enlist but was deemed unfit for service due to health reasons. Despite his efforts to join, he later opposed the involvement of African Americans in the war, which he, along with activist Hubert Harrison, referred to as “a war for white people.”
One of Garvey’s core philosophies was separatism. He argued that Black people needed to be self-reliant and emphasized that only by becoming economically strong could they earn respect.
To promote the economic goals of the UNIA, Garvey founded the Black Star Line in 1919, a shipping company aimed at boosting trade between African communities on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1920, he went on to establish the Negro Factories Corporation, a network of businesses designed to support the economic development of people of African descent.
This network included a variety of businesses, ranging from grocery store chains, publishing houses, garment factories, hat shops, restaurants, to steam laundry services. These businesses were not only concentrated in North America but also expanded to the West Indies, Central America, and Africa, with the goal of creating economic opportunities and enhancing prosperity for people of African descent worldwide.
Negro World
One of the strongest ways Marcus Garvey and activists like him connected with the community was through the Negro World newspaper. This was a weekly publication distributed to UNIA branches in 40 countries.
The newspaper achieved great success during that time, with a circulation of up to 200,000 copies per week at its peak. Within its pages, the articles focused on promoting the art and culture of African Americans. Notably, the newspaper also highlighted the significant contributions of Black women, both as authors and as celebrated figures.
Negro World existed and thrived throughout the 1920s into the early 1930s. Its influence and reach were so strong that many colonial governments banned its sale and possession, fearing that the newspaper’s content would encourage African people in the colonies to rise up and cause unrest.
Assassination attempt
On October 14, 1919, George Tyler, a part-time sales agent for Negro World, arrived at Marcus Garvey’s office requesting a direct meeting. When Garvey stepped outside to assess the situation, Tyler suddenly drew a .38 caliber pistol and fired four shots at him. One bullet merely grazed Garvey’s scalp, while two others struck his legs.
Immediately after, Amy Ashwood, the leader of the women’s branch of the UNIA, rushed in to intervene. A struggle ensued, forcing Tyler to flee. However, he was quickly apprehended by the police and taken into custody. Just one day later, Tyler attempted to escape by jumping through a window and fell from a height of 30 feet, leading to his death.
The motive behind the attack remains a mystery, but there were many speculations at the time. Some believed that Tyler was an investor in Garvey’s Universal Restaurant but was rejected by the UNIA. A more common story suggested that the incident was connected to Edwin Kilroe, a white assistant prosecutor in New York, who had failed to bring charges against Garvey in earlier cases. Shortly before the attack, Garvey had published an editorial sharply criticizing Kilroe.
According to legend, Tyler is said to have claimed that it was Kilroe who had instigated him to carry out the assassination attempt before opening fire. However, the authenticity of this statement was never verified and has always been met with skepticism.
Marriage and divorce
Immediately after the failed assassination attempt, Marcus Garvey proposed to Amy Ashwood. She accepted, and the two held a Catholic wedding ceremony on Christmas Day in 1919
After the wedding, they enjoyed a two-week honeymoon in Canada, accompanied by a small group of UNIA members. During this time, Garvey took the opportunity to speak at events in Montreal and Toronto before returning to Harlem
However, the marriage did not last. In 1922, amid allegations of infidelity from both sides, Garvey divorced Ashwood. Despite this, Ashwood never accepted the divorce. Garvey then quickly remarried Amy Jacques, who had been a former roommate of Ashwood and also served as the chief bridesmaid in their wedding.
With Amy Jacques, Marcus Garvey had two sons: Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr., born in 1930, and Julius Winston Garvey, born in 1933
The enemies of Marcus Garvey
The philosophies of Marcus Garvey were not without criticism. While the UNIA only accepted Black members, a more prominent movement in the United States, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was an organization committed to building a multi-ethnic membership community
The leading human rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, a member of the NAACP, once referred to Garvey as “the most dangerous enemy of the Black people in America.” This was due to Garvey and the UNIA advocating for racist ideologies, which Du Bois believed was akin to supporting the rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan.
However, philosophical disagreements were not the biggest threat to Marcus Garvey. He became a top target of J. Edgar Hoover, a rising figure in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In Hoover’s view, Garvey was inciting the Black community to rise against American society. With his growing power, Hoover used a network of spies and sabotage to confront Garvey and the UNIA.
Garvey’s biggest issue lay in the operations of the Black Star Line, the shipping company he founded. The business was facing a severe crisis: the ships were deteriorating, and the company was struggling financially. However, UNIA officials continued to sell stocks, allegedly through correspondence. Hoover and the FBI viewed this as fraudulent behavior and proceeded to arrest Garvey, bringing him to trial.
Although the evidence presented by the prosecution was weak, Garvey was still convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison. The lengthy appeals process forced him to rely on the sluggish legal system. The Supreme Court refused to review his case, and in 1925, three years after his arrest, Garvey began serving his sentence at the federal penitentiary in Atlanta.
Two and a half years later, in November 1927, President Calvin Coolidge commuted Garvey’s sentence, and he was released but also deported. After leaving the United States, Garvey traveled to Switzerland to speak at the League of Nations before returning to Jamaica
The final years and death of Marcus Garvey
After returning to Jamaica, Marcus Garvey founded the People’s Political Party, focusing on the rights of workers and supporting the impoverished classes in Jamaican society. Although the UNIA continued to exist in the United States, the organization no longer garnered the strong support it once had
In 1935, Garvey moved to London, where he lived until his death on June 10, 1940, from a stroke. Due to wartime transportation difficulties, Garvey’s remains were buried in London
In 1964, his remains were exhumed and returned to Jamaica, where he was buried under the Marcus Garvey Memorial at the National Heroes Park in Kingston, honoring him as a national hero of Jamaica
The legacy of Marcus Garvey
In a time before the Civil Rights Movement erupted, Marcus Garvey became the voice representing Black people worldwide and a symbol of pride for the Black community for many decades afterward.
His vision and beliefs deeply influenced many later organizations with diverse political and religious viewpoints. The Rastafarian movement, the Black Panther Party, and the Nation of Islam, along with many other groups, all acknowledge that Garvey’s philosophy helped shape part of their ideologies
To this day, Garvey is still revered, and his ideas continue to be widely discussed and applied by African movements. As a result, his legacy and name stand alongside other prominent figures who fought for Black rights, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Ella Baker, Nelson Mandela, and Steve Biko, to name just a few.
Like those heroes, the name of Marcus Garvey will continue to be remembered for decades, and even centuries, to come
Conclusion
Marcus Garvey, a highly controversial figure, played a crucial role in the development and growth of Pan-Africanism, while also being a pioneer in the movement for Black rights. Unlike many other activists, Garvey not only called for integration but also emphasized that Black people should return to Africa and establish a unified nation exclusively for them
Through the article from Thefactsofwar, I hope you have gained a deeper understanding of the life, career, and legacy of Marcus Garvey. His ideas and actions have had a far-reaching impact on numerous movements and organizations, from Rastafarianism to the Nation of Islam. The name of Marcus Garvey will live on in the history of the fight for Black rights, alongside other great figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
Translated by Minh Tuấn
Source: thecollector.com – Marcus Garvey: A Leader in the Pan-Africanist Movement
