De nd different probl m. I iminedi tely visited
ailed egro le dr, only to disco tel cl
Y h d no program, but re oPPO . t
t ir led le d hip hit poor peopl
dr. I tr vIed throu h thirty-eight t t d
vi ited us e nd p id my
hin ton, nd th n return d to
Yor divi ion of th Unive
i ti n. Iter in tructin t peop in th
iation, I intended returning to J m i
org nization, but when e h d enrolled bout
800 or 1,000 membe in th H rlern di trict nd had lected the om-
cers, a fe egro politicians beg n trying to tum the movem ' into
politicrJ club.
ing th t the politicians ere about to d troy my ideal , 1 had
to fight to get them out of the organization. There it was that I m d
my fi t political enerni in Harlem. They fou ht me until they
rna h d the fir t organization nd r du d it m mb r hip to about
fifty. I t rted ain, and in two month built up a n w organization
of about 1,500 members. Again the politicians cam and divid u
into two f ction . They too way all the books of the organization,
it treasury and all its belongings. At that time I was only an organiz r,
for it was not then my intention to remain in America, but to return to
J amaic . The organization had its proper officers elect d, and I was not
an officer of the ew Yor division, but President of the J amaic
branch.
On the second plit in Harlem thirteen of the members conferred
with me and requested me to become Presid nt for a time of the e
York organization so as to save them from the politicians. I consented
and was elected Pre ident, There then sprung up two factions, one led
by the politician ith the books and the money, and th other led
by me. My faction had no money. I placed at their di po al what
money I had, opened an office for them, rented a meeting place, m­
ployed two women secretaries, went on the street of Harlem at night to
speak for th movement. In three wee more than 2,000 new members
joined. By tho time I had the association incorporated so as to pre­
vent th other f ction using the name, but in two weeks the politicians
had stolen all th people's money and had smashed up their faction.
The or anization under my Presidency grew by leaps and bounds.
I tarted Th« NIgro World. Being a journalist, I edited this paper free'
of cost for the association, and worked for them without pay until
November, 1920. I traveled all over the country for the association
at my own expense, and established branches until in 1919 we had
about thirty branches in different cities. By my writings and speeches
we were able to build up a large organization of over 2,000,000 by
June, 1919, at which time we launched the program of the Black
Star Line. "
To have built up a new organization, which not purely political.
among Negroes in America was a wonderful feat, for the Negro poli­
tician does not allow any other kind of organization within his race .
to thrive. We succeeded, however, in making the Universal Negro
Improvement Association so formidable in 1919 that we encountered
more trouble from our pOlitical brethern. They sought the influence of
the District Attorney's office of the County of New York to put us
out of business. Edwin P. Kilroe, at that time an Assistant District
Attorney, on the complaint of the Negro politicians, started to investi­
gate us and the association. Mr. Kilroe would constantly and continu­
ously call me to his office' for investigation on extraneous matters
without coming to the point. The result was that after the eighth or
ninth time I wrote an article in our newspaper, The Negro World,
against him. This was interpreted as criminal libel, for which 1 was in­
dicted and arrested, but subsequently dismissed on retracting what I had
written.
During my many tilts with Mr. Kilroe, the question of the Black Star
Line was discussed. He did not want us to have a line of ships. 1 told
him • that even as there was a White Star Line, we would have, irre­
spective of his wishes, a Black Star Line. On June 27, 1919, we in­
corporated the Bl ck Star Line of Delaware, and in September we
obtained a hip.
The following month (October) a man by the name of Tyler came
to my office at 56 West 135th Street, New York City, and told me
that Mr. Kilroe had sent him to "get me," and at once fired four shots
at me from a .38-calibre revolver. He wounded me in the right leg
and the right side of my scalp. I was taken to the Harlem Hospital,
and he was an ted. The next day it was reported that he committed
suicide in jail just before be was to be taken before a City Magi�rate.
The first year of our activities for the Black Star Line added prestige
to the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Several hundred
thousand dollars worth of shares were sold. Our first ship, the team-
hip YlU71JOuth, had made two voyages to the West Indies and Central
America. The white press had flashed the news allover the world. I,
a young Negro, as President of the corporation, had become famous.
My name was discussed on five continents. The Universal Negro Im­
provement Associatio gained millions of followers all over the world.
By August, 1920, over 4,000,000 persons had joined the movement.
A convention of all the Negro peoples of the world was called to meet
in New Yor that month. Delegate came from all parts of the known
orld. Over 25,000 persons p eked the Madison Square Garden on
Aug. I to hear me speak to the first International Convention of
Negroes. It w a record-breaking meeting, the first and the biggest of
its kind. The name of Garvey had become known a leader of his
race. I
Such fame' among Negroes w too much for, other race leade and
politicians to tolerate. My downfall was planned by my' enemies.
They laid aU kinds of traps for me. They scattered their spies among
the employes of the Black tar Line and the Univer al egro Im­
provement Association. Our office records, were tolen. Employes tarted
to be openly dishonest; we could get no convictions against them; even
if on complaint they were held by a Magistrate, they were dismissed by
the Grand Jury. The ship' officer ,started to pile up thousands of
dollars of debts against the company without the knowledge of the
'officers of the corporation. Our ship were damaged at sea, and there
was a general riot of wreck and ruin. Officer of the Universal Negro
Improvement As ociation also began to teal and b openly dishonest.
I had to dismi them. They joined my enemie , and thus I had an
endle s fight on my hands to save the ideal of the as celation and
carry out our program for the r ceo My N gro enemies, finding that
they alone could not destroy me, re orted to misrepresenting me to
the leader of the white race, several of whom, without proper investi­
gation, al 0 opposed me.
With robberies from within and from without, the Black Star Line
was forced to u pend active bu iness in December, 1921. While I
Marcus Garvey
was on a business trip to the West Indies in the Spring of 1921, the
'Black Star Line received the blow from which it was unable to
recover. A sum of $25,000 was paid by one of the officers of the
corporation to a man to purchase a ship, but the ship was never obtained
and the money was never returned. The company was defrauded of a
further sum of $11,000. Through such actions on the part of dishonest
men in the shipping business, the Black Star Line received its first set­
back. This resulted in my being indicted for using the United States mails
to defraud inve tors in the company. I was subsequently convicted
and entenced to five years in a Federal penitentiary. My trial is a
matter of history. I know I was not given a square deal, because my
indictment was the result of a "frame-up" among my political and
business enemie . I had to conduct my own case in court because of
tbe peculiar position in which I found myself. I had millions of
friend and a large numb r of enemies. I wanted a colored attorney to
handle my case, but there was none I could rust. I feel that I have
been denied ju tice because of prejudice. Yet I have an abundance
. of faith in the courts of America, and I hope yet to obtain justice
on my appeal.
"w
love all
umanitu.
Weare
working
for the
peace
of the
world
which we
believe
can only
come
about
when
all races
•
arequieti
their
due. ",
working for the peace of the world which we believe can only come
about when all races are given their due.
. We feel that there is absolutely no reason why there should be any
differences between the black and white race , if each topsto adjust·
and steady it elf. We believe in the purity of both races. We do not
believe the black man should be encouraged in the idea that hi
highe t purpose in life is to marry a white woman, but we do believe
that the white man should be taught to respect the black oman in
the same way as he wants the black man to respect the white omaD.
It is a vicious and dangerous doctrine of social equality to urge, as
certain colored leaders do, that black and white should get together,
for that would destroy the racial purity of both.
We believe that the black people hould have a country of their
own where' they should be given the fullest opportunity to d velop
politically, socially and industrially. The black people should not be
encouraged to remain in white people's countries and expect to be
Presidents, Governors, Mayors, Senators, Congressmen, Judges and
social and industrial leaders. We believe that with the rising ambition
of the Negro, if a country is not provided for him in another SO or
100 years, there will be a terrible clash that ill end disastrously to
him and disgrace our civilization. We desire to prevent uch Q clash by
pointing the egro to a home of his own. We feel that all ell disposed
and broad minded white men will aid in this direction. It i because
of this b lief no doubt that my egro enernie , so to prejudice me
further in the opinion of th public, ickedly tatethat I am a mem­
ber of the Ku Klux Klan, even though I am blac man.
The temporary ruin of the Black Star Line has in no way affected
. the larger work of the Universal Negro Improvement ASSOCiation,
which now has 900 branches with an approximate membership of
6,000,000. his organization has succeeded in organizing the Negroes
all over the world and we now look forward to a renaissance that will
create a new people and bring about the restoration of Ethiopia's
ancient glory.
Being black, I h ve committed an unpardonable offense against
the very light c lored egroes in America and the West Indies by
making my elf famous a a Negro leader of million'. In their view, no
black man mu t rise above them, but I still forge ahead determined to
give to the world the truth about the new Negro who is determined
to make and hold for him elf a place in the affairs of men. The Uni­
ver aI Negro Improvement Association has been misrepresented by
my enemic . They have tried to make it appear that we are hostile to
other race. This is ab olutely false. We love all humanity. We are
To b continued n t ee.