Marcus Garvey

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Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. Ideologically a Black nationalist and Pan-Africanist, his ideas came to be known as Garveyism. Garvey was a controversial figure; some in the African diasporic community were highly critical of his collaboration with white supremacists, violent rhetoric, and prejudice against mixed-race people and Jews. He nevertheless received praise for encouraging a sense of pride and self-worth among Africans and the African diaspora amid widespread poverty, discrimination, and colonialism. In Jamaica, Garvey is widely regarded as a national hero. His ideas exerted a considerable influence on such movements as Rastafari, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Power Movement.