The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) is an international black nationalist organization created by Marcus Garvey in Jamaica in August 1914. It bore originally the name of Universal Negro Improvement and Conservation Association and African Communities League (the word Conservation will be withdrawn later). The organization is also known under acronym UNIA-ACL, or simply UNIA.
See also: Marcus Garvey
According to the preamble to the constitution of 1929 of the UNIA, this one is “an association social, friendly, humane, charitable, educational, institutional, constructive and expansible, and is rested by people wishing to the extreme to work for the general rise in the people of African ascent in the world. The currency of the organization is " God! A goal! A destiny! " ”.
The New Yorkean section of the UNIA is created in 1917 by Marcus Garvey, with 13 members, who will be: 3500 three months later. In a context of racial segregation, the organization of Jamaïquaine origin knew a rapid growth within the communities Afro-américain are, but also in black communities outside the the United States. In 1920, association asserted as follows: 1100 sections in 40 countries. But the United States will remain the principal base of the organization, and this until our days.
The UNIA created satellite organization and companies, among which the “universal African legion”, a paramilitary group, the nurses of the African black cross, the company of the African black cross, the Universal African Motor Corps , the Black Eagle Flying Corps , the Black Star Steamship Line (the maritime line of black star), the Black Cross Trading and Navigation Corporation (and the navigation trading company of the black cross), and the Negro Factories Corporation (the company of the negro factories).
The ideology of the UNIA will be triple: improvement of the fate of the blacks everywhere or they is, African independences, return of the American blacks in Africa.
The colors red, black and green were declared colors official of the race African by UNIA in 1920, at the convention of the August 13rd to the Madison Square Garden. The flag corresponding is thus named flag side-African, flag Afro-American, flag of release of the blacks, or flag of the UNIA. The three colors represent:
- red: the blood which links all the people having African ancestors and that of the fight for the release;
- black: black people as a nation, although without corresponding State;
- green: the abundance of the nature of Africa.
Marcus Garvey will be stopped by the US government in 1925, then expelled towards the Jamaica in 1927. After its expulsion, the American movement will know divisions and scissions which will weaken it. After the death of Garvey in 1940, the UNIA loses of its influence, even if it always exists in 2006. During the years 1920 and 1930, the UNIA was the main motor of black nationalism, in the the Caribbean but especially in the United States.
Many organizations Afro-américain be, even those refusing nationalism and black separatism, will be subject to the influence of its militancy of the “black pride”.
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