1939 – Death of Marcus Garvey in London

Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the Pan-Africanist visionary and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), died on June 6, 1940, in London. Garvey’s philosophy of Black nationalism, economic self-reliance, and African unity inspired millions across the diaspora during the early 20th century. He organized one of the largest mass movements of African-descended people and promoted the slogan “Africa for the Africans.” Though controversial in his lifetime and the subject of political repression—including a prison sentence in the U.S.—Garvey\’s legacy profoundly influenced later civil rights and independence leaders, from Malcolm X to Kwame Nkrumah. His vision laid the intellectual foundation for Pan-Africanism and Afrocentric thought. Though he died in obscurity, Garvey is now honored globally, including in Jamaica where he is recognized as a National Hero.