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Wilfrid Laurier University

Marcus Garvey and the philosophy of black pride

Abstract

dc:description

The anomalous position of black people in the United States, following the first World War, set the stage for the arrival of marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Originally formed in Jamaica in 1914, Garvey transported the UNIA to the United States as the war was drawing to a close, and quickly rose to popularity as black people responded positively to Garvey and his movement. Centered around the philosophy of black pride, Garvey’s movement set out to give black people a sense of worthiness in their race and colour. He gave expression to the frustrations of black people who had suffered the effect of agricultural depression in the South, and poverty and unemployment in the North. It was Garvey’s firm belief that a movement erected on a solid foundation of black pride, would wield black people everywhere into a united front thus giving them the power to liberate their race. Garvey who emerged as a leader in the early 20th century, followed closely in the footsteps of his 19th century forerunners who included, Delaney, Turner and Washington among others. They had articulated various expressions of a black nationalist doctrine and Garvey stressed some elements of their philosophies, modified others, and contributed ideas of his own. Though the UNIA was to lose its mass appeal about Garvey’s expulsion from the United States, his conviction in his ideas and program remained as strong as ever.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts (MA)
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
History
Year dc:date
1982

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Skyers, Sophia Teresa
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Richard P. Fuke

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/9

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Wilfrid Laurier University
Base URL
scholars.wlu.ca/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-08-21
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Skyers, Sophia Teresa. Marcus Garvey and the philosophy of black pride. 1982. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/9