1923 - Marcus Garvey Found Guilty

On May 20, 1923, Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), was convicted of mail fraud in the United States—a charge widely believed to be politically motivated. As a Jamaican-born Black nationalist who promoted Pan-African unity and economic independence, Garvey had built one of the largest global Black movements in history. His “Back to Africa” philosophy and creation of the Black Star Line symbolized a bold vision for Black self-determination. The conviction was a blow to the movement, yet it also highlighted the threat Garvey posed to white power structures. Despite the legal setback, Garvey’s ideas would go on to influence global liberation leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah and Malcolm X. May 20 marks a pivotal moment in international Black history—where a visionary’s incarceration could not contain the rising tide of global Black consciousness that Garvey helped ignite.