5 Things to Know About Marcus Garvey

The face of pan-Africanism, Marcus Garvey was a black nationalist who is known for sparking the “Back to Africa” movement.

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots,” said Garvey.

Here are five things to know about the late Marcus Garvey:

1. He Was a Native of Jamaica. Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. was born on August 17, 1887, in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Garvey was the last of 11 children born to Marcus Garvey, Sr. and Sarah Jane Richards. In 1903, he traveled to Kingston, Jamaica where he got exposed to activism and became involved with union activities. Garvey traveled to the United States in 1916, but he was deported back to Jamaica after being convicted of mail fraud. 

2. The Creator of UNIA. In 1914, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica. The UNIA sought to build a black-governed nation in Africa. Garvey was able to grow the organization into one with multiple chapters in countries such as the United States, Cuba and the United Kingdom. The first commercial venture of the UNIA was to establish the Black Star Line Steamship Corporation with the goal of creating an efficient mode of transportation, communication and trade among black people worldwide. The public could invest in the corporation by purchasing stock shares at $5 each.

3. Garvey Founded Jamaica’s First Modern Political Party. After being deported back to Jamaica, Garvey established the People’s Political Party (PPP) during the late 1920s. The PPP was Jamaica’s first modern political party and the group sought to defend the interests of Jamaica’s majority Black population. Issues the party hoped to address included official representation in the British Parliament, judicial reform, a Jamaican university, minimum wage, land reform, a government-run electrical system and public high schools and libraries.

4. He Made Enemies in High Places. While spending time in the United States, Marcus Garvey became a controversial figure to some, including J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover was the head of the FBI and he established a special counter-intelligence program called COINTELPRO, to neutralize political dissidents such as Garvey. COINTELPRO sought to stop the rise of a “Black messiah” who could unify Black people. Therefore, Hoover hired the FBI’s first Black agent just to infiltrate the UNIA and monitor Garvey.

5. Garvey is Jamaica’s First National Hero. Although Garvey may have been viewed as an enemy by J. Edgar Hoover, that is not the case everywhere. His message of pride and dignity was an inspiration to his countless supporters. After his death, Marcus Garvey was proclaimed a national hero by his native country of Jamaica in 1964. 

The legacy and impact of Marcus Garvey’s “back to Africa” movement was an early catalyst for what would become the Civil Rights Movement. Garvey died on June 10, 1940, in London, England after suffering several strokes.