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Marcus Garvey
The organizer who told millions of Black people to look homeward and stand tall.
The rise
Born in Jamaica, Garvey built the Universal Negro Improvement Association into the largest Black mass movement in history, headquartered in Harlem and reaching millions across the diaspora.
What they did
He preached Black pride, economic independence and 'Africa for the Africans', launched the Black Star Line shipping company, and inspired a global Pan-African and Black-nationalist awakening that influenced Nkrumah, Kenyatta and the Nation of Islam.
The full picture
The Black Star Line collapsed amid mismanagement, and Garvey was convicted of mail fraud and deported — his grand schemes outrunning their finances and drawing fierce rivals.
Why it matters
Garvey gave the diaspora a language of Black dignity and self-determination that seeded later independence and Black-power movements.
“If you have no confidence in self you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence you have won even before you have started.”