MARCUS GARVEYMarcus Garvey was born in 1887 on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Not much is known about his youth, except that he went to school until the age of fourteen. Soon after he took a job 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 spend some time there studying about African colonization. He became interested in African history and black nationalism. He knew that blacks in Jamaica suffered under British rule and also faced discrimination on neighboring islands. This led him to question the treatment of black people around the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 1914, returning to Jamaica, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The main goal of his plan was to lift the race (Straub 31). This meant establishing politically and economically independent black agency in Africa and establishing world unity among blacks. He knew that his ideas were needed everywhere, so in 1916 he went to New York to establish a branch of the UNIA there. In addition to establishing this branch, he founded a newspaper called Negro World. The main targets of Garvey's plan were the lower classes of black society. He did not approve of any means of integration and wanted a back-to-Africa movement (Cronon). He said that in Africa, blacks could lead their lives free from white domination. His colorful parades and demonstrations attracted millions of followers who believed in his ideas of black unity. He tried to create a steamship company called Black Star Line. This steamship company encouraged connections with blacks around the world. This idea was one of the negative aspects of his plans. A financial problem in the creation of the Black Star Line landed him in prison in 1925 and he was deported to Jamaica two years later. From this point on his influence was minimal. He died later in 1940. During his time leading the UNIA, Garvey wrote many poems that demonstrated 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 like she is a rock that never breaks to describe this unconditional love. He appreciates his mother's love by saying that it is a gift from God. He also demonstrates racial pride by saying that my mother is black, the most beautiful of all. After evaluating several other poems written by Garvey it is evident that he likes to use an assonant rhyme scheme. In another of his poems called The Battle Hymn of Africa he really highlights the pride he has for his people and his country. In the opening line of this poem he says, the sun of Africa shines clear above the horizon, the day for us is breaking for the black men far away and near this line he clearly demonstrates the pride he has for his country and the his people. He portrays their lives as a battle that must be fought for the black man to get justice. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Marcus Garvey's influence on the Harlem Renaissance was a major one. He emphasized the point of racial pride and unity in all his beliefs. This is something that black people may not have thought or thought about before listening to Garvey. He tried to influence blacks not to get along with whites but to unite in an attempt to..