Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica and experienced the impacts of colonization at the hands of the British. As a result, he developed a passion for improving race relations and launched a Black Nationalism movement that would seek to elevate black people throughout the world.
In 1914, Garvey created the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). This revolutionary social movement came at a time when black Americans were being lynched and ridiculed in the media. After immigrating to the United States in 1916, Garvey’s mission offered hope to black Americans with the promise of emigrating black people back to Africa. As his movement grew, the United States government monitored him. He was eventually arrested, convicted, and banned from entering the country.
In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., with additional commentary from Peniel Joseph of The University of Texas and Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University, we take a closer look at Garvey’s legacy and his contribution to the largest black political movement ever.
