POLITICAL IDEAS
As more blacks moved into the north, where the white man also lived, there was a blending of races in neighborhoods, especially big city ones, like Harlem. As African Americans settled into northern communities, they connected with each other and began to form networks and organizations. These groups allowed for the growth of cultural and political ideas that would be prevalent during the Harlem Renaissance.
THE TWO MAIN POLITICAL ACTIVISTS
MARCUS GARVEY & THE UNIA
Jamaican, Marcus Garvey, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Harlem because of the large amount of Caribbean blacks there. His goal was to instill racial pride by spreading African nationalism. Garvey did not believe that blacks could prosper in America, that their past would always haunt them and would leave them as targets for discrimination. Therefore, he proposed a “Back to Africa Movement” in which those who wished to be sent back to their native country would be sent by ship by the UNIA. He appealed mainly to the black working class, which gave millions in support to the UNIA. Despite his charismatic persona which inspired many people to support the cause, his plans fell apart due to poor money management, lack of backing, and inadequate workers.
W.E.B. DU BOIS & THE NAACP
The scholar, W.E.B. Du Bois, believed differently than Garvey. He founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and represented its core beliefs through The Crisis magazine, of which he was editor. Through The Crisis, Du Bois shined a light on the achievements of numerous black writers and scholars. Nearly 100,000 people read the magazine, through which he further proved his theory that the arts could improve the image of African Americans. He believed that racism could be fought against through writing, that the pen was mightier than the sword.
The NAACP’s stated goal was to secure the rights of equality that were guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments of the Constitution for all. It worked fervently against lynchings and mobs against blacks.
The NAACP’s stated goal was to secure the rights of equality that were guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments of the Constitution for all. It worked fervently against lynchings and mobs against blacks.