The parent body of the UNIA was incorporated inJamaica and sought, among other things, fundingfrom the British Government for the economic,social and cultural transformation of Jamaica.

The UNIA also acted as a catalyst for culturaldevelopment in Jamaica and Edelweiss Parkbecame a major cultural centre for black Jamaicans.

Garvey himself wrote poetry and was the author ofthree plays. Many famous Jamaicans in the field ofthe Arts began their career at Edelweiss Park,among them Ranny Williams and Una Marson.

Garvey continued his work in journalism andfounded three publications namely, ‘The Blackman’a weekly newspaper in 1929, “The New Jamaican”a daily, in 1932 and, “The Black Man”, a magazinein 1935.

In 1935 due to opposition by the Colonialauthorities, Garvey decided to promote the work ofthe UNIA overseas and moved to England.

Marcus Garvey died in June 1940 after suffering twostrokes. His remains were returned to Jamaica in1964 and interred at the National Heroes Park.

He became Jamaica’s first National Hero.

SOURCESJamaica Cultural Development Commission.Garvey Centenary 1887-1987: Official SouvenirMagazine.

Jamaica Information Service. Marcus MosiahGarvey

National Library of Jamaica. Emancipate YourselfFrom Mental Slavery Exhibition.

“If you have no confidence in self you aretwice defeated in the race of life. With

confidence you have won even before youhave started.”

Marcus Garvey

Information Unit3-5 Phoenix Avenue

Kingston 10Tel: 926-5726-9Fax: 968-2662

Website: www.jcdc.govgov

.jmEmail: library@jcdc. .jm

MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY

1887 - 1940

An Agency of the Ministry of Youth & Culture

MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEYTHE EARLY YEARS

arcus Garvey was born on August 17, 1887in St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann, the son of areputable bricklayer, Marcus Senior and apeasant woman, Sarah Jane nee Richards.

He was the youngest of eleven children.

He attended infant school and then the St. Ann’sBay Methodist Elementary school until the age of14. An elementary school education then was thefull extent of tuition for most Blacks in Jamaica.

Garvey’s parents could not afford to send him tosecondary school but he had the advantage of hisfather’s extensive library,as well as that of hisgodfather, AlfredBurrowes, a printer. Thisinfluenced his early tastefor reading and later asan apprentice to Mr.Burrowes, he fully utilizedthe use of the library.

As a teenager he left forKingston where he joinedthe staff of P.A. Benjaminas a printer. At the age of18 he became a foreman, which was a greatachievement, as at that time foremen wereimported from England. This was the starting pointof his future career as he became deeply interestedin politics, cultural organization, trade unionism andjournalism.

In 1910 Garvey journeyed overseas to Costa Ricaand was critical about the deplorable conditions ofWest Indian workers. He established workerorganizations, gave public lectures and wrotenewspaper articles. In 1911 he returned to Jamaicabut soon left for England.

In England he learned a great deal about Africa. Heworked for the ‘African Times and Orient Review’ anewspaper edited by Duse Mohammed Ali, anEgyptian nationalist who greatly influenced hispolitical development.

UNIVERSAL NEGRO IMPROVEMENTASSOCIATION (UNIA)

In 1914 Garvey returned to Jamaica and foundedthe Universal Negro Improvement Association(UNIA) with the motto ’One God, one Aim, OneDestiny’. In 1920 they adopted the colors red, blackand green. He also founded the African Communities

League (ACL).

In 1916 he went to theUnited States of Americawhere he was to meet withBooker T. Washington,Principal of the TuskegeeInstitute, to discuss theestablishment of anIndustrial Farm andInstitute based on theTuskegee model. HoweverWashington died beforeGarvey’s arrival.

Garvey settled in Harlem, New York where he set upa chapter of the UNIA.

Garvey’s stay in the U.S. during the period 1916 -1927 was the highpoint of his career as aninternational leader. The UNIA grew rapidly withmembership at its peak estimated at 6 to 11million. By 1921 there were 859 branches in over 30countries.

Garvey strongly believed that the focus of blacknations should be Africa and fought tirelessly for anindependent Africa. He preached self-reliance for

black peopleand the needfor Blacks tocontrol theirlives in everysphere.

In 1919 theBlack StarL i n eS t e amsh i pC o m p a n yw a sl a u n c h e d

with a capital stock of US$1/2 million.

Garvey also established the ‘Negro World’newspaper which became the most widelycirculated newspaper among Blacks.

On Christmas Day 1919 he married Amy Ashwood.The couple parted company by the following yearand were formerly divorced in June 1922. Later

that year hem a r r i e dAmy Jacques.

In August 1920the firstI n t e r n a t i o n a lConvention ofNegro Peoples ofthe World washeld in New Yorkwith 25,000persons inattendance. InSeptember of thesame year Garveyand his UNIAteam publishedthe “Declarationof Rights of the

Negro Peoples of the World”.

In 1923 Garvey was convicted of mail fraud and wasdeported to Jamaica in 1927. His internationalreputation had spread to Jamaica and he received ahero’s welcome.

He sailed to England in 1928 and was instrumentalin founding the West African Students’ Union andpresented his famous speech at Albert Hall inLondon on ‘The case of the Negro for InternationalRacial Adjustment’.

GARVEY & POLITICS

Garvey returned to Jamaica in 1929 and foundedthe People’s Political Party (PPP), the first modernpolitical party in Jamaica.

In 1930 the PPP fielded candidates in the generalelections to the Legislative Council. Garveycontested the St. Andrew constituency but lostdespite drawing huge crowds to his meetings. Thiswas due to the fact that most of his followers couldnot vote. Universal Adult Suffrage had not yet beenwon.

He was elected unopposed to the Kingston &St. Andrew Corporation in the Local Governmentelections in 1930. The same year he launched theJamaica Workers and Labourers Association in anattempt, among other things, to organize workers.

In 1931 he led a deputation to the Governoroutling in details the conditions of the sufferingpoor, especially the unemployed.

He drew up a petition which he sent to the Kingthrough the Colonial Office, copied to the LabourMPs and other liberals. This resulted in the sendingof a Royal Commission to investigate the politicaland economic conditions of the West Indies.

M

Garvey in the UNIA parade, New York

S. S. Antonio Maceo of theBlack Star Line

Garvey and UNIA officersviewing the convention parade