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UNIA HistoryPage 2 |
| The black nationalist
ideals of the UNIA were executed through the
organizations economic programme. Real political freedom,
Garvey felt, would be facilitated by an independent
economic base. thus, the independence suggested by race
first, self-reliance and nationhood, would first
have to be an economic independence. By linking the
millions of blacks in Africa, the Americas and elsewhere
into one vast network of production, trade and political
co-operation and eventual independence for the black
race. In an attempt to achieve this goal, the Black Star Line Steamship Corporation was launched in 1919. Between 1919 and 1925, the Black Star Line and its succesor company the Black Cross Navigation and Trading Company, operated four ships which carried passengers and cargo between the USA and Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Panama. This was the most ambitious venture undertaken by the UNIA. Another venture of the UNIA -- also started in 1919 -- was the Negro Factories Corporation, which sought to, "build and operate factories in the big industrial centres of the United States, Central America, the West Indies and Africa to manufacture every marketable commodity." A chain of grocery stores, a restaurant, a steam laundry, a tailor and dressmaking shop, a millinery store and a publishing house, were started. The UNIA identified good business opportunities and tried to interest blacks in developing them, providing executive and technical expertise where necessary. |
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| The first convention of
the UNIA, held in Harlem in 1920, significantly altered
the course of the association. A programme based on The
Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World was adopted, marking the evolution of the
movement into a black nationalist one, seeking the
upliftment of the black race, encouraging self-reliance
and nationhood and emphasizing that blacks should put
themselves first as other races do. The declaration detailed the injustices meted out to blacks, especially in the United States, and condemned discrimination and the deprivation of the rights which were due to all people. These rights were set out in a series of 54 Articles. The document protested against the practice in th education system whereby black children were taught white superiority and demanded that the word "Negro" be spelt with a capital "N" in keeping with the dignity and self-respect of the race. This particular campaign achieved success over the next 10 years. The official colours of the movement, red, black, and green were also endorsed. Convinced that blacks should have a permanent homeland in Africa, Garvey's movement sought to accomplish this by colonizing and assisting with the development of Liberia. In Garvey's words, "our success educationally, industrially and politically is based upon the protection of a nation founded by ourselves. And the nation can be nowwhere else but in Africa". The Liberia programme, launched in 1920, was intended to build colleges, universities, industrial plants and railroad tracks among other things but the project was abandonded in the mid 1920's after much opposition from European powers with interests in Liberia. |
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| In connection with the
affairs of the Black Star Line Steamship Corporation,
Garvey was charged with mail fraud in the United states
and imprisoned in the Atlanta Federal Prison in 1925. On
his release in November 1927, Garvey was deported to his
homeland where a large crowd met him at Orrett's wharf in
Kingston. A huge procession and band marched to the UNIA
headquarters at Liberty Hall, where Garvey impressed the
crowd with his usual impassioned oratory. He then worked to rebuild the membership of the UNIA in Jamaica and visited branches in the other West Indian territories and in Central America. Going on to London, he established a European headquarters and soon after opened a Paris branch. He travelle to Geneva in 1928 where he presented the Petition of the Negro Race, on behalf of the blacks around the world, to the League of Nations. The petition outline the abuse of blacks around the world and sought redress through this Organization. One improtant aspect of the petition was its expose' of the barbarities of the South African regime and its unfitness to administer Namibia. |
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In September 1929, Garvey founded the People's
Political Party (PPP), Jamaica's first modern political
party. A 14 point manifesto -- the first of its kind in
the island's electoral history -- was put forward by
Garvey. The points contained in the PPP's manifesto were
far-reaching and perceptive as illustrated by a few of
them, such as:
Some of Garvey's visions as expressed in his manifesto have been fulfilled. Others are yet to be realized. Garvey was elected Councillor for the Allman Town division of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) in 1929. He lost his seat, however, because of his absence from council meetings while serving a prison sentence for contempt of court. In 1930 he was re-elected , unopposed, along with two other PPP candidates and he agitated for the adoption of some of the points outlined in the PPP's manifesto. |
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| In April 1931, Garvey launched the Edelweiss Amusement Company at 67 Slipe Road. This was an important cultural project as through it Garvey sanctioned the necessity for artists to make a living from their work. In addition to this, much of the entertainment was based on traditional church, school, and folk entertainment. |