Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican political leader and civil rights activist who advocated for the rights of people of African descent. He is best known for his vision of an independent, self-governing black nation and his promotion of the “Back to Africa” movement, which encouraged people of African descent to return to their ancestral homeland.
Garvey believed that people of African descent, who had been dispersed around the world as a result of the slave trade, needed to come together in order to achieve political and economic power. He felt that they would never be treated as equals in white-dominated societies and that their only hope for true freedom and self-determination was to create their own independent state.
He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914 and worked to build a sense of pride and unity among people of African descent. Through the UNIA, he encouraged the development of businesses, schools, and other institutions that would serve the black community. He also organized a “Back to Africa” movement, which sought to establish a new nation in Africa where black people could live free from discrimination and oppression.
In addition to his work to promote the rights of people of African descent, Garvey also advocated for the rights of workers and the poor, and spoke out against colonialism and imperialism. He was a charismatic leader who inspired many people and his ideas continue to have an impact on the lives of people of African descent around the world.
It’s worth noting that Garvey’s ideas and movement also met with a lot of criticism and opposition, specially from the Jamaican political and economic elite and some black leaders.