Was Marcus Garvey The Most Significant African American...

To what extent was Marcus Garvey the most significant African American civil rights leader in the period 1865-1945? The period between 1865 and 1945 saw some of the most dramatic social, political and economic changes in America. The key issue of black civil rights throughout this period was advocated and led by a range of significant, emotive and inspiring leaders. Marcus Garvey was a formidable public speaker and is often named as the most popular black nationalist leader of the early twentieth century. He believed in pan-Africanism and came nearer than any other black leader in mobilising African American masses. He was hailed as a redeemer and a â€Å"Black Moses† who tried to lead ‘his people back to freedom’. However, arguably although†¦show more content†¦In many ways it could be argued that Marcus Garvey was the most significant African American civil rights leader of this time because of his role in tackling the social issues African American’s faced. He aimed to improve the lives of African Americans by encouraging them to take control of their own aff airs and education. His role surrounding this issue is illustrated by his founding of the UNIA. This Universal Negro Improvement Association was an organisation dedicated to racial pride, economic self sufficiency and the formation of an independent black nation in Africa. Through this and the magazine the ‘Negro World’ he urged African Americans to be proud of their race, and argued â€Å"a people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots†. It has been said that through Garvey’s dedication to social improvement for his race he managed to capture the imagination of many blacks for whom the American Dream was a dirty joke. Although Garvey is heralded as such as strong figure in the improvement of social issues in this period, many other activists took different approaches. For example Washington was an important figure who believed the best interests of African Americans could be realised through education in the crafts and industrial skills. To implement this he founded the Tuskegee school, which had over 100