1. He Led the Largest and Most Influential Movement to Advance Black People’s Interests in the World. Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), “the most dynamic mass movement across territorial borders among the African peoples [during] the 20th century.” According to international.ucla.edu: ”By the early 1920s the UNIA could count branches in almost every Caribbean, [latin America], and sub-Saharan African country with membership swelling to 8 million.” 2.He Launched the Largest Black Economic Development Campaign More than just an activist, Marcus Garvey also had the business acumen to create financial solutions for the global Black community. According to blackbusinessnetwork: “Marcus Garvey’s built huge businesses (nationwide and international), encouraged entrepreneurship, and got millions of black people buying from Black-owned business.” Not only did Mr. Garvey start businesses that employed thousands of black people, but he would also offer stock in the companies, promoting black ownership and generating additional wealth for the community 3.Founded Largest Black Media Empire to Date Marcus Garvey was revolutionary not only because of his ideas, but also because of his ability to communicate them to a large number of people. Mr. Garvey published several periodicals and newspapers, most notably The Negro World, Blackman and The Black Man. According to blackbusinessnetwork: ” [The Negro World] Eventually reaching a circulation of five hundred thousand, the newspaper was printed in several languages. It contained a page specifically for women readers, documented international events related to people of African ancestry, and was distributed throughout the African diaspora until publication ceased in 1933. His publications directly influenced the minds of many Black leaders to follow.” 4.He Inspired Every Black Freedom Fighter of The 20th Century One measure of the influence of Marcus Garvey’s philosophy and accomplishments is the impact on the leaders directly influenced and inspired by him. Mr. Garvey has inspired every major black movement of the 20th century, both in Africa and the Americas. Notable followers of Garvey’s ideology include: Minister Louis Farrakhan, President Nnamdi Azikiwe, Elijah Muhammad, President Kwame Nkrumah, Kwame Toure, President Jomo Kenyatta, President Nelson Mandela, President Patrice Lumumba, President Julius Nyerere, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. They are only a few examples of leaders both on the African continent and in the United States who credit Marcus Garvey’s philosophy and accomplishments as their inspiration 5.He Inspired the Birth of Many Nations Marcus Garvey’s work and philosophy has been so transformational, that it is directly responsible for many African nations’ independence from European colonizers. Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and most of the CARICOM member states can attribute their independence, in part, to the teachings of Marcus Garvey. According to blackbusinessnetwork: “Inspired by his ideas, over 30 African countries have declared their freedom, and many sport Mr. Garvey’s red, black and green colors in their flag,” this includes Ghana, the first sub-Saharan nation to gain independence, which honors Marcus Garvey with the black star in its flag.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:18:46 +0000
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