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PART I I
African Americans & The 1920s
Marcus Garvey & UNIA
Back to Africa
Best known for his proposal to return blacks to
Africa on his Black Star line in 1920.
Garvey purchased 3 vessels but did not have the
money to maintain them.
Garvey understood it was unrealistic for several
million blacks to return to Africa. Switched his focus
to the African continent.

Marcus Garvey
Attempted to establish a
settlement in Southern
Liberia as well as take
over the former German
colony of Tanzania.
Attempt thwarted by
Britain, France and the
US.
UNIA never established a
foothold in Africa.
Garveys Enemies
US Government & Black Leaders worked to
undermine Garvey.
J. Edgar Hoover had him under surveillance.
Garvey rejected black ldrs attempt to gain acceptance
under the Americans system.
Garvey rejected Du Boiss Talented Tenth & Du Bois
himself.
Was rejected by Du Bois & A. Philip Randolph.
View on Whites The Law
Believed in separation
between whites and
blacks.
Met with the Klan in
1922. This can be seen
with Garveys
statement Every
white man is a
Klansmen.
He & 3 other UNIA
mbrs indicted on 12
counts of mail fraud.
Indictment was in
regards to the sale of
stock in his Black Star
Line Company.
Garvey
Garvey
His prosecution was
pushed for by black
leaders.
Convicted and
sentenced to prison in
1925.
Sentenced was
commuted in 1927 and
was deported to
England.
FROM BLACK MI GRATI ON TO A. PHI LI P
RANDOLPH
LABOR
Labor
Black migration to the
North led to intense
pressure on its cities and
workforce.
Blacks changed the
complexion of factories
in the North.
Even with black
migration to the North,
2/3
rd
s of black
population still worked
in agriculture.
Many blacks remained in
the South. Blacks who
worked in the factories
held unskilled dirty jobs
that paid less than whites
but more than their
southern brethren.
Blacks were not accepted
into the unions.
Employers liked to use
blacks to break strikes
and pit them against
white workers.

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Pullman Company-
largest employer of
blacks in the United
States.
More than 12,000 black
men worked in the
railcars.
Pullman wanted blacks
to serve as Porters due to
the acceptance of blacks
as servants by whites.
Pullman Pulls
Pullman could pay
blacks less than whites.
Porters were paid
$67.50/mo. & $810/yr.
Porters made good
money for black men at
the time.
Made more money
than teachers.
Educated black men
would seek
employment as porters
because of the pay.
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
A. Philip Randolph
Graduated from
Bethune-Cookman
College.
Became a Socialist in
1913.
Opposed US involvement
in WWI.
Arrested for violating
The Espionage Act in
1919.
A. Philip Randolph
Labeled as the most
dangerous Negro in
America by the FBI.
Supporter of the
workers/masses. Detested
Wall Street types.
Instrumental in getting
porters into the AFL.
Went against Pullman in
regards to unionizing the
porters.
Pullman fired porters who
joined the union. Pullman
tried to install another
union that favored his
views.
Randolph threatened to
call a strike in 1926 but
called it off after the AFL
offered support to the
porters.
COTTON COMES TO HARLEM
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance
Black Intellectuals ( Creative) Gathered in
Manhattan.
New Negro
Negro Renaissance
Produced great works in art and creative writing
Carter G. Woodson Black History
American Negro
Academy 1897-1928 (
Talented Tenth)
Carter G. Woodson
founded Assn. for Study
of Negro Life & History
in 1915
Established Negro
History Week in Feb.
1926
Carter G. Woodson
known as the Father
of Negro History.
Before Harlem
Writers Langston Hughes
Disagreements over the
purpose and definition
of black literature.
Some wanted positive
literary stories.
Hoped to reduce racial
conflict in America
through positive
portrayal of blacks.
Did not agree with the
premise that art would
reduce the racial
conflict in America.
Hughes did not care if
whites or blacks liked
his work.
Writers & Artists
Whites & The Harlem Renaissance
Zora Neale Hurston called
white folks Negrotarians
and black colleagues
Niggerati.
White and blacks had an
uneasy relationship in
Harlem.
Carl Van Vechtens published
his novel Nigger Heaven in
1926. Honest depiction of
black life in Harlem.
Whites who enjoyed Harlem
culture saw the difference
between the two cultures.
Zora Hurston
Carl Van Vechtens
White View of Harlem Black Writers
Saw Black Culture as
more :
Lively
Energetic
Sensual
Unsophisticated
Primitive
Took Exception to this
view.
Saw Harlem as it really
was as black life that
had its gangsters and
gamblers.
Whites & The Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Jazz
Without Harlem there is no
Jazz Age.
Harlems Clubs echoed the
soulful sounds of blacks.
Blacks and whites went to
Harlem to enjoy themselves
and break the law.
1919-1920 18
th
Amendment
& Volstead Act prohibited the
manufacture, distribution and
sale of alcoholic beverage .
Liquor was sold in Harlem
Blues from the
Mississippi Delta and
the rural South
combined with Chicago
and St. Louis vibe
ushered in the Jazz
Age.
Harlem & Jazz Age