Marcus Garvey, National Hero of Jamaica Quiz

Answer: London, Birbeck College, University of London

Marcus Garvey was a bright student who once remarked that the worst racism he ever experienced was from teachers. In a very 'colorist' society like Jamaica, a dark skinned Black man was not expected to become educated or successful. His father's extensive library led the way for Garvey to become self-educated. Eventually he attended college in England.

Answer: Printing Press

At the age of 14 Garvey was granted an apprenticeship at a printing press. The articles he read there sparked an interest in labor unions and organizers. He would eventually move to the capitol city, Kingston, where he became directly involved in activism.

Answer: Universal Negro Improvement Association

The Universal Negro Improvement Association was the largest movement for Black people in the world at that time. In 1922 he spoke to a crowd of 25,000 at Madison Square Garden in New York. He advocated a "Back to Africa" movement where Blacks in the west, the descendants of former slaves would take the skills and education they had gained back to Africa to support independence from colonialism. Self-reliance and self-determination were at the core of his movement.

Answer: The Negro World

In 1918 the UNIA began publishing "The Negro World newspaper". In some Spanish and French colonies the paper was promptly banned and had to be smuggled in. Some of the most famous Black writers and historians wrote for "The Negro World", including Zora Neale Hurston, Joel A Rogers, Carter G Woodson and Arturo Schomburg. The paper published its last edition in 1933.

Answer: Pan-Africanism and The Harlem Renaissance

Garvey's travels to Africa convinced him of the need to establish an independent homeland. The parades they led, dressed in military uniform and regalia, fostered a sense of pride in African heritage. As almost all of Africa was under European colonial rule in the 1930's, except for Ethiopia and Liberia, his message of pride and independence had a tremendous impact on liberation struggles.

His impact on the Harlem Renaissance period was immeasurable. Black owned businesses skyrocketed during the decade of the 1920's.

Answer: The Red, Black and Green Flag

The banner of the Red, Black and Green still flies as the African-American flag to this day. Many countries in Africa which would emerge from colonialism would incorporate these same colors into their newly established national flags, such as Kenya, Ghana and Senegal, etc.

Answer: All of them

Black southerners who were refugees from terror migrated north in hopes of being able to live and breathe free from the KKK. They were very industrious people who still suffered great discrimination in the northern job markets. Union jobs were not available to Blacks.

In this social/economic climate the appeal of establishing one's own business rather than begging for a job was very appealing. The Garvey Movement established a model for African-Americans to do for self, and support their community in a way that other minority groups were able to do successfully, such as Chinese and Jewish Americans.

Answer: Using the US Post Office to defraud the public through the sale of company stock

Members of the UNIA across the US purchased penny stocks and received a certificate of ownership in the Black Star Lines. When the company collapsed due to the poor condition of the ships, Hoover was able to bring charges of "using the USPS to defraud." It is rumored that the very first Black FBI agent was hired by Hoover to set-up Marcus Garvey.

A federal charge was all that was needed to deport him to Jamaica.

Answer: Malcolm X

Malcolm Little would end up in foster care due to the circumstances surrounding his father's murder. Like Garvey, he had literate, educated parents who inspired a love of learning in Malcolm. Like Garvey, some of the worst racism he experienced (beside his father being murdered by the KKK) was in school.

He was the top student in his class of white peers. They voted him President of the student government. But when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he replied "a lawyer." His teacher told him that Negroes could not be lawyers, and to pursue something more reasonable like being a carpenter.

This mirrors the experiences Garvey had in school in Jamaica.

Answer: Coretta Scott-King

Garvey, who came to America initially to meet Booker T. Washington, wanted to establish a vocational training school similar to Tuskeegee Institute in Jamaica. Some Black leaders of his time looked down on Washington's and Garvey's visions. They promoted organizations that sought legal appeals, higher education and the establishment of elitist, colorist (light skinned) groups to lead the Black masses forward.

They scorned Garvey's talk of "Back to Africa." When Garvey was convicted of fraud, the responses from the elites were ruthless.

In Jamaica, the opinions of him were just as vile. It would take Rastafarian musicians to sing the praises of Garvey in order to raise his stature in his homeland of Jamaica.