"Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr."(August 17,1887-June 1940)

National Hero of Jamaica was a   publisher,journalist,entrepreneur,Black Nationalist,Pan

Africanist,Marcus Garvey was founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League(UNIA -ACL).Prior to the twentieth century,leaders such as Prince Hall,Martin Delany,Edward Wilmont Blyden,Henry Highland Garnet advocated the involvement of the African diaspora in African affairs.Marcus was unique in advancing a Pan-African philosophy to inspire a global mass movement and economic empowerment focusing on African known as Garveyism.Promoted by the UNIA as a movement of African Redemption,Garveyism would eventually inspire others,ranging from the National of Islam,to the Rastafarian movement (which proclaims Marcus as a prophet).The intention of the movement was for those of African ancestry to "redeem" Africa and for the European colonial powers to leave it.His essential ideas about Africa were started in an editorial in the Negro World titled "African Fundamentalism"where he wrote:  "Our union must know no clime,boundary,or nationality...let us hold together under all climes and in every country..."Marcus was born in St.Ann's Bay,Jamaica to Marcus Sr.,JB a mason,and Sarah Jane Richards,a domestic worker and Farmer.Of Eleven siblings, only Marcus and his sister Indiana reached maturity Marcus father was known to have a large library,and it was from his father that Marcus gained his love for reading.Sometime in the year 1900,Marcus entered into an apprenticeship with his uncle,Alfred Burrowes.Like Marcus Sr Alfred had an extensive library,of which young Marcus made good use.Marcus attended elementary schools in St.Ann's Bay and Church of England High school in Jamaica until he was about fourteen,he left St.Ann's Bay for Kingston,where he found employment as a compositor in the printing house of P.A. Benjamin,Limited.He was a master printer and foreman at Benjamin when,in November 1907,he was elected vice-president of the Kingston Union.However,he was fired when he joined a strike by printers in late 1908.Having been blacklisted for his stance in the strike he later found work at the Government Printing office.In 1909,his newspaper The Watchmen began publication,but it only lasted for three issues.In 1910 Marcus left Jamaica and began traveling throughout the Central America region.He lived in Costa Rica for several months,where he worked as a time-keeper on a banana plantation.He began work as editor for a daily newspaper titled La Nacionale in 1911.Later that year,he moved to Colon Panama,where he edited a bi weekly newspaper before returning to Jamaica in 1912.After years of working on the Caribbean,Marcus left Jamaica to live in London from 1912 to 1914,where he attended Birkbeck College taking classes in Law and Philosophy,worked for the African Times and Orient Review,published by Duse Mohamed Ali,sometimes spoke at Hyde Park's speakers' Corner.It is said that Duse Mohamed Ali influenced shaped Marcus speeches,and led him to organize the Universal Negro Improvement Association.(UNIA)in  Jamaica in 1914.It has been suggested that the UNIA motto,One God,One Aim,One Destiny"originated from Duse Ali's Islamic influences on Marcus.During his travels,Marcus became convinced that uniting Blacks was the only way to improve their condition.Towards that end,he departed England on June 14,1914 aboard the S.S. Trent,reaching Jamaica on July 15 1914.He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association.(UNIA) in August 1914 as a means of uniting all of Africa and its diaspora into "One grand racial hierarchy."Amy Ashwood,who would later be Marcus First wife,was among the founders.As the group's first President-General,Marcus goal was "to unite all people of African ancestry of the world to one great body to establish a country and absolute government of their own." Following much reflection the following day and night what he learned,he named the organization the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities (Imperial)League.After corresponding with Booker T. Washington,Marcus arrived in the U.S. on March 23 1916 aboard the S.S. Tallac to give a lecture tour and to raise funds to establish a school in Jamaica modeled after Booker Tuskegee Institute.Marcus visited Tuskegee,and afterward,visited with a number of Black leaders.After moving to New York,he found work as a printer by day.He was influenced Hubert Harrison.At night he would speak on street corners,much like did in London's Hyde Park.It was then that Marcus perceived a leadership vacuum among people of African ancestry.On May 9 1916,he held his first public lecture in New City at St.Mark's Church in-the-Bowery and undertook a 38-state tour.In May 1917,Marcus and thirteen others formed the first UNIA division outside Jamaica and began advancing ideas to promote social,political,and economic freedom for Blacks.On July 2,the East St.Louis riots broke out.On July 8,Marcus delivered an address,titled "The Conspiracy of the East St.Louis Riots,"at Lafayette Hall in Harlem.During the speech,he declared the riot was "one of the bloodiest outrages against mankind."By October,rancor within the UNIA had begun to set in.A spilt occurred in the Harlem division,With Marcus enlisted to become its leader ;although he technically held the same position in Jamaica.Marcus next set out about the business of developing a program to improve the conditions of those of African ancestry "at home and abroad"under under UNIA auspices.On August 17 1918,publication of the widely distributed Negro World newspaper began. Marcus worked as an editor without pay until November 1920.By June 1919 the membership of the organization had grown to over two millions.On June 27 1919, the Black Star Line of Delaware was Incorporated by the members of the UNIA with Marcus as President.By September,it obtained its first ship.Much fanfare surrounded the inspection of the S.S. Yarmouth and its rechristening as the S.S. Frederick Douglass on September 14, 1919.Such a rapid accomplishment garnered attention from many.Edwin P.Kilroe,Assistant District Attorney in the District Attorney's office of the County of New York,began an investigation into the activities of the UNIA,but apparently didn't find any evidence of wrongdoing or mismanagement.After being called to Kilroe's office numerous times,Marcus wrote and editorial on Kilroe's activities for the Negro World.He was arrested and indicted for criminal libel in relation to the article,but charges were dismissed After he published retraction.While in his Harlem office at 56 West 156th Street on October 141919,Marcus received a visit from George Tyler,who told him that Edwin "had sent him"to get Marcus. George then pulled a .38-caliber revolver and fired four shots,wounding Marcus in the right leg and scalp.He was taken to the hospital and George arrested.The next day,it was let out that George had committed suicide by leaping from the third tier of the Harlem jail as he was being taken to his arraignment.By August 1920,the UNIA claimed four million members.That month,the International Convention of the UNIA was held.With delegates from all over the world in attendance,over 25,000 people filled Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1920 to hear speak.Another of his ventures was the Negro Factories Corporation.His plan called for creating the infastructure to manufacture every marketable commodity in every big U.S. industrial center,as well as in Central America,the West Indies,and Africa.Related endeavors included a grocery chain,restaurant,publishing house,and other bus