Marcus Garvey: Black NationalistWhile growing up in Jamaica, Marcus Garvey decided he and other black people had to take charge of their own lives before conditions would improve. After founding the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), he moved to New York where he worked toward organizing African descendants from all over the world. UNIA encouraged racial pride and financial independence, as well as the establishment of a homeland in Africa. To help reach these goals, Garvey raised money to launch a shipping company and other ventures. His lack of experience crippled these efforts, however. The businesses were soon bankrupt and Garvey was arrested and convicted of mail fraud. After serving a short prison sentence, he was deported from the United States and his organization fell apart.
Although he was not successful in his immediate goals, Marcus Garvey was an early advocate of ethnic pride and of black nationalism and had a powerful impact on the civil rights movement in the United States.
Selected by PSLA as one of the Top Forty Young Adult Nonfiction books for 2005.
REVIEWS:
"Marcus (born Mosiah) Garvey is a very controversial figure in the Black Nationalist movement . . . Throughout his life he fought for Black Nationalism, believing that all black people should return to their native Africa. The story is told in a compassionate way with photos as illustrations. . . This book would be very useful for middle and high school students doing historical or biographical research."
---Children's Literature
"Garvey, self-taught and driven, was a controversial, if not outright explosive character who kept a high profile (even in prison) as an advocate for Black Nationalism. The chronology helps readers sort through the incredible ups and downs; and the references are helpful. Students will probably emerge somewhat bewildered; the man was an enigma and that fact about him . . . is crystal clear."
---School Library Journal
