Marcus Garvey was born in St. Anne's Bay, Jamaica, in August,
1887. His parents were of unmixed African descent. His ancestors
had belonged to the Maroons, a group of slaves who had escaped
and established their own community in the Jamaican hills. They
fought so well and had been so thoroughly organized that the
British found it necessary to grant them their independence in
1739. Garvey was very proud of this heritage and of his unmixed
ancestry. Jamaican society was structured hierarchically along
color lines. The whites were at the top, mulattoes in the
middle, and blacks at the bottom. The mulattoes enJoyed
displaying and projecting their superiority over the blacks. In
turn, Garvey was scornful of the mulattoes, and he distrusted all
people with light skin throughout his life.
As a young man, Garvey began making his living as a printer's
helper in a large Kingston printing firm and worked his way up to
foreman. His leadership ability became evident when, during a
walkout, the workers chose him to lead the strike. He had been
the only foreman to join the workers, and the company later
black-listed him for it.
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