MARCUS GARVEYMarcus Garvey was born in 1887 on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Not much is known about his early life except that he attended school until the age of fourteen. Shortly after, he began working as a printer's apprentice in 1907. After leading an unsuccessful printers' strike in Jamaica, he edited several newspapers in Costa Rica and Panama. After traveling to London in 1912 to study African colonization. He is interested in African history and black nationalism. He knew that in Jamaica, black people were suffering under British rule and were also discriminated against in neighboring islands. This made him question the treatment of black people around the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn 1914, in Jamaica, Garvey established the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The main objective of his plan was to raise the race (Straub 31). This meant establishing politically and economically independent black action in Africa and establishing global unity among black people. He knew his ideas were needed everywhere, so in 1916 he went to New York to establish a branch of the UNIA. Along with the creation of this branch, he started a newspaper called Negro World. The main targets of Garvey's plan were the lowest classes of black society. He does not approve of any path of integration and wants a movement back to Africa (Cronon). He said that in Africa, black people could lead their own lives, free from white domination. His colorful parades and rallies attracted millions of supporters who believed in his ideas of black unity. He attempted to start a steamship company called Black Star Line. This shipping company encouraged connections with black people around the world. This idea was one of the failures of his projects. A money problem during the creation of the Black Star Line landed him in prison in 1925 and was deported to Jamaica two years later. From then on, his influence was minimal. He later died in 1940. While leading the UNIA, Garvey wrote many poems demonstrating racial pride and strong family ties. This is strongly demonstrated in his poem The Black Mother. This poem was written about his mother to describe a love that never changes. He uses lines as if she is a rock that never splits to describe this unconditional love. He cherishes his mother's love saying that she is a gift from God. He also shows racial pride by saying that my mother is the most beautiful black of them all. After evaluating several other poems written by Garvey, it is noted that he likes to use an assonance rhyme scheme. In another poem of his called The Battle Hymn of Africa, he really brings out the pride he has in his people and his country. In the first line of this poem, he says, the sun of Africa shines above the clear horizon, the day dawns for us for black men far and near. This line clearly demonstrates the pride he has for his country and his people. He describes their lives as a battle that must be fought for the black man to achieve justice. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Marcus Garvey's influence on the Harlem Renaissance was an important one. He emphasized the importance of racial pride and unity in all beliefs. This is something that black people may not have had or thought about before..