Black History Month Spotlight on Marcus Mosiah Garvey
Growing up in Jamaica, it was important to learn about our national heroes. We memorized their stories and made sure that none of their contributions were forgotten. National hero, Marcus Garvey is not only a source of pride for many Jamaicans but was also instrumental in the movement for freedom and justice in the United States. He was born in Jamaica in 1887 and was educated both in Jamaica and in London, studying law and philosophy at London’s Birbeck College. His many experiences with racism shaped his philosophy on how to improve the lives of people of African descent. His was also influenced by Booker T. Washington, founder of the Tuskegee Institute because of Washington’s quest to uplift black through educational opportunities.
In his time, he advocated self-reliance and believed that the best way to deal with systematic racism was to create a separate system for blacks that relied on black-owned business and industry. Marcus Garvey also believed that all people of African descent should unite against racism. In 1914, while living in Jamaica, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and African Communities League. He moved to the United States in 1916 and formed several organizations that were dedicated to uplifting the community; he formed the Universal African Legion, the Black Cross Nurses, the Black Star Line steamship company, and the Negro World newspaper. The UNIA was hugely popular in the United States and internationally. The organization’s motto of One God, One Aim, One Destiny resonated and he amassed over four million followers worldwide.
During his visit to Jamaica in 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described Garvey as the “first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement to give millions of Negroes a sense of dignity and destiny and make the Negro feel he was somebody.” While many of his beliefs were highly controversial, the story of Marcus Garvey is a vital part of both Jamaican and African-American history. Garvey was imprisoned in 1925 and served three years before being deported to Jamaica. While in Jamaica, he established the People’s Political Party. He returned to London in 1935 and died there in 1940. In 1964, his body was returned to Jamaica where he became Jamaica’s first national hero.
The story of Marcus Mosiah Garvey is extensive. Learn more about his journey from the links below.