In response, the
convention elected him as the Provisional President of Africa.
Garvey's black separatism led, naturally enough, to black
capitalism. Businesses connected with the U.N.I.A. sprang up all
across the country. They were usually small enterprises: grocery
stores, laundries, and restaurants. Larger businesses included a
printing house and a steamship line. The New York World, which
was begun in 1918, was the only black daily in existence at that
time. After its demise, Garvey began The Black Man, which was
published monthly. Although most of these businesses only served
to sink Negro roots deeper in American society, the purpose of
the Black Star Steamship Line was, eventually, to provide a means
of transportation for those who desired to return to Africa. The
black middle class felt that Garvey was hurting its image. White
politicians were nervous about the existence of such a large and
potentially powerful organization, especially when it was led by
a man like Garvey whom they could not understand. When the
steamship line ran into financial trouble, many were
convinced that Garvey had been defrauding the ignorant masses.
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