By the mid-1970s there existed what has been called a "Marcus Garvey Renaissance."1 This renaissance refers to the preponderance of material relating to the resurgence of black people in the scholarly press, popular media, and other forms of printed matter. One scholar commented on the resurgency by saying:
In nearly all matters relating to the resurgence of black people, in this country and abroad, there is a reconsideration of this man [Garvey] and his program for the redemption of people of African descent throughout the world. His dream, which seemed impossible in his lifetime, is now the stimulation for a new Black Nationalism, which in his terms is really Black Nationhood. His prophecy has been fulfilled in the independence explosion that brought more than thirty African nations into being. The concept of Black Power that he advocated, using other terms, is now a reality in large areas of the world where the people of African origin are predominant.2
With such a broad and colorful life, however, one is hard pressed to limit a study such as this. Garvey was at once a poet, politician, philosopher, and charismatic leader. Moreover, he was a dreamer and planner of almost unequal prose. However, like many brilliant dreamers in history, Garvey was ahead of his time. His writings have inspired countless people in their search for identity, but historical circumstances, mostly created by the imperialistic or colonial powers of the early twentieth century, conspired together to crush this visionary.
This paper will begin by discussing Marcus Garvey's biographical origins from his birth in Jamaica in 1887, through his youth and early formative years, to the beginnings of his political involvements in the early part of this century. The paper will then turn to Garvey and his involvement with the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and the UNIA's involvement in Cuba and Central America. Following that, ther...