International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

Marcus Garvey, the son of a modest Jamaican family, used his skills as a charismatic orator, gifted journalist, inventive entrepreneur, and political advocate to pioneer the first global black movement , a “back-to-Africa” campaign, known as Garveyism. The movement enraptured millions and influenced future black activists and organizations for generations. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, on August 17, 1887. He was the youngest of nearly a dozen children, although only one sibling survived childhood. His father, also named Marcus, was a stonemason by trade and an avid reader, an uncommon characteristic in an area where illiteracy was prevalent. His mother Sarah was a domestic worker who was known for her compassion and even disposition. Although Garvey was considered an above-average student, it was the access to his father's large personal library that allowed him to develop an intellectual curiosity and an immense vocabulary – tools that helped him gain recognition as one of the greatest orators of his day. As a young boy, Garvey frequently played with his classmates and neighbors, blacks and whites alike. However, as a teenager he realized there was an unsettling division among races: his white childhood companions eventually distanced themselves from him socially. At 16, Garvey's curiosity prompted him to move to Kingston, where he found work as a printer ... log in or subscribe to read full text