The
result was the founding, in 1914, of the "Universal Negro
Improvement and Conservation Association and African
Communities League". In 1916, Garvey came to the United States to
solicit the support of Afro-Americans. He had hoped to get the
backing of Booker T. Washington with whom he had already
corresponded, but, unfortunately, Washington died the previous
year.
In the United States Garvey found the Afro-American community
ready to support his program of encouraging aggressive racial
pride.The hopes which had accompanied the end of slavery, half a
century earlier, had turned to ashes. Then, thousands moved from
the rural South to the urban North to escape the growth of
segregation and to find economic advancement. In the "promised
land," they were continually confronted by socially sanctioned
segregation, constant racial insults, and relentless job
discrimination.
In 1919 white race hatred exploded in race riots all across the
country. In that year, there were also some seventy lynchings,
mostly black, and some of them were soldiers who had Just
returned from defending their country.
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