Encyclopedia > Universal Negro Improvement Association
The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) is, according to its 1929 constitution, a "social, friendly, humanitarian, charitable, educational, institutional, constructive and expansive society, and is founded by persons desiring to the utmost to work for the general uplift of the people of Africanancestry of the world. And the members pledge themselves to do all in their power to conserve the rights of their noble race and to respect the rights of all mankind, believing always in the Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God. The motto of the organization is 'One God! One Aim! One Destiny!' Therefore, let justice be done to all mankind, realizing that if the strong oppresses the weak, confusion and discontent will ever mark the path of man but with love, faith and charity towards all the reign of peace and plenty will be heralded into the world and the generations of men shall be called Blessed."
Founded by Marcus Garvey in Jamaica during the year 1914 this organization has a history that is rich and telling of the experience of Africa and its diaspora. In 1920 the UNIA-ACL held its first convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City. During that convention the 20,000 members of the UNIA in attendance promulgated the "Declaration of Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World". In that declaration a number of articles stand out. One of which resolves that the colors Red, Black and Green symbolize all people of African ancestry. Another officially designated the song "Ethiopia the land of our fathers" as the official anthem of "Africa and the Africans, at home and Abroad".
Marcus Garvey founded the UniversalNegroImprovementAssociation (UNIA) in 1914 to promote the improvement of living conditions for Africans and people of African descent in North and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
The text of the quote is: “We of the UniversalNegroImprovementAssociation are raising the cry of ‘Africa for the Africans’—those at home and those abroad.
There are 400 million Africans in the world who have Negro blood coursing through their veins.
U.N.I.A. In 1914, the UNIA-ACL was founded by Marcus Mosiah Garvey originally in Jamaica after he had gone to London to be with his sister Indiana.
The UNIA had grown so much that it was a necessity to have a publication through which he could express his views.
However, the most important and powerful as far as the UNIA future and the “back to Africa” movement was the Black Star Line Steamship Corporation which was launched in 1919.
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