Role of the UNIA in the Black Community (Essay Sample)

Role of the UNIA in the Black Community
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Role of the UNIA in the Black Community
Introduction
The UNIA refers to the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The organization was founded by Marcus Garvey to proclaim Black Nationalism across the nations using the ‘Back to Africa’ message. Marcus Garvey formed the movement in 1914 and named it the Universal Negro Improvement Association and Conservation African Communities Imperial League (UNIA-ACL). Later on, the ‘imperial’ and ‘conservation’ were dropped and it remained UNIA-ACL. Most people, however, are more familiar with the movement under the initials – UNIA. The association was one driven by charity, humanitarianism, social, institutional, constructive, educational, and expansive objectives. UNIA gained political acclaim and it became a major movement not only in the United States by in Africa and Europe altogether. This paper seeks to prove that, although the UNIA sought to improve the lives of the Black Community, it consequently caused harm to a lot of the African American people and other black communities abroad.
Analysis
Marcus Garvey was an inspirational figure, whose devotion to improving the lives of the Black Community brought forth mixed reactions across the nation. Although his plans seemed impossible, his dream, strength, desire, conviction, and unrelenting dedication led to the achievement of a fete that many a people had criticized. His efforts bore positive results, thus changing the lives of many African Americans and other Black Communities abroad. Garvey, born and bred in Jamaica, was already a keen learner in journalism and a promising orator. His life in Jamaica and his experiences with black people in London, Costa Rica, Limon, and Panama inspired him to establish a program that would enlighten the black community of the opportunities available to them worldwide.
Garvey explains the origin of UNIA in an article entitled “The Negro’s Greatest Enemy”: he states that while returning home from Southampton, he encounters a West Indian Negro travelling back home to the East Indies from Basutoland with his wife, who told tales of the horrors of native African life. It is from this story that Garvey decided to come up with the name that would soon become a revolution. Upon the formation of the UNIA-ACL, Garvey arrived in Jamaica but could not find the necessary support to grow his movement. Most black people in Jamaica did not want to classify themselves as Negroes, therefore, they despised him and his efforts. It is this lack of support that inspired Marcus Garvey to relocate to the United States in 1916, where he formed the official UNIA in 1917. 2000 members had registered within a span of three weeks. Within three months, the number had risen to 3500 in dues-paying members.
The UNIA aimed at transforming people from non-believers, to people who believed in believed in themselves and shared common dream – Black Nationalism. Through Garvey’s leadership, the UNIA inspired people by speaking and fulfilling the people’s wishes, dreams, and restoring their pride in the black race. Through its newspaper, the Negro World, UNIA was able to spread its philosophy, its ideas and Garvey’s motto of “One God, One Aim, One Destiny.” The UNIA gained membership across the board and funds became easily available for furthering the association’s vision and mission. It is due to these funds that benefits started accruing to the members of the UNIA and the rest of the Black Community. UNIA acquired various assets such as halls, companies (Black Star Line, Inc., and Negro Factories Corporation). Both companies were capitalized at $10 million and $1 million respectively.
Benefits to the Black Community
Creation of Jobs
Share proceeds from the capitalization of Black Star Line, Inc. were used to purchase the SS Yarmouth, and the SS Shadyside. The vessels were used by the association to transport members during excursions and also rented out to other organizations. The BSL latter purchased another vessel, the Kanawha, later christened to SS Antonio Maceo. The vessel was used for transportation in the West Indies, thus creating jobs among members with expertise in marine transportation. The Negro Factories Corporation was one of the best sources of income for the Black Community due to its creation of jobs through its multiple enterprises. It owned two restaurants, three grocery stores, a laundry, a millinery shop, a tailor shop, a doll factory, a printing company, and a dress making company. All these enterprises created at least 700 jobs.
It Provided a Platform where the Black Community Could Voice their Views
The UNIA was a humanitarian movement that advocated for equal rights, it reproached racism and equality in all walks of life: education, social welfare, jobs, housing, etc. It was a movement that preached that being black was not a bad thing, and people did not have to feel inferior because of their skin color. The Negro World, a famous newspaper owned by the UNIA, was a key medium of expression. Marcus Garvey always had a front-page article where he would give the general status of the Negro Community and people of African ancestry across the world. The paper covered various languages, and included a section for women, where women rights and opinions could be expressed and addressed. The Liberty halls acquired across the nation were used to host various seminars, meetings, debates, and elections. Access to these resources empowered the members; the Black Community became could, therefore, impose certain demands on the government regarding their rights.
Charity
The UNIA provided various opportunities to people in need, including education opportunities, donations through Garvey’s slogan of Africa for Africans. His links with nations in Africa such as Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa enabled him to acquire support and aid from his followers and mentees. These charitable activities also entailed fulfilling the dreams of those Negroes who wished to go back to Africa, which is why UNIA bought the SS Yarmouth.
Inspiration to African Countries
Garvey’s influence in the UNIA was huge; he imposed his Rastafarian roots onto most Negroes, making the official colors the UNIA flag the same as those of the Rastafarian movement (red, black, and green). The color red represents the church triumphant and the blood of the persecuted black people. Black represents the color of the blacks, while green represents the beauty and vegetation of Africa, the homeland. His influence in Africa led to the adoption of the Rastafarian colors in countries such as Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Ghana, and the ANC of South Africa. These colors and the inspiration from the UNIA influenced most nations to fight for their own rights, for independence, for the right to vote, and for equality. The UNIA united the black community for a greater course – a course of pride and fight against oppression.
Harm to the Black Community
Though UNIA provided many benefits to its members and the Black Community as a whole, most of the people were lynched in protests, hanged, shot, burned and beaten in street corners. Garvey’s UNIA turned into a political movement which became corrupted as fast as it became famous. There was misappropriation of funds within the movement, some of the ships purchased for transportation were faulty, wasting the money of most blacks who had funded the movement. The constant insults and attacks of powerful government officials led to the imprisonment and deportation of Marcus Garvey to Jamaica, leaving the Black Community without a visionary leader.
During one of his Sunday talks in Harlem’s Lafayette hall, Garvey highlighted his contempt for discrimination following a massacre at St. Louis that saw many black men, women, and children killed in the streets by white mobs. The blacks were ran over by cars, burnt in their neighborhoods, others were strung up to poles, while others were shot to death if they tried to escape. The UNIA’s philosophy aggravated the situation in other areas where blacks were despised; this led to the loss of lives, livelihoods, and loved ones – efforts that were intended to silenc...