Contributions of Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois to the Civil Rights M

Contributions of Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois to the Civil Rights Movement Equality for African-Americans! Before Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of it, Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois fought for it. In the 1920’s, blacks and whites were still greatly separated both physically and mentally. Equal rights were strongly sought after by many people in various ways. The most effective of those methods came from two highly influential men: Garvey and Du Bois. After the push by Booker T. Washington, the most respected black man in America at that time, to accept being subhuman and not having rights, both men began campaigns to accomplish what they perceived Washington incapable of: civil rights. Although their methodology was sometimes questionable, and the results seemingly slim, Garvey and Du Bois did pave the way for future civil rights activists. During the 1920’s, both men affected change for sure†¦but just how influential were they? Marcus Garvey was rather aggressive in his attempts at change during the 1920s and beyond. He did not believe in simply trying to integrate with the white people by lobbying for equality. Instead, he fancied that an African nation with an army and power to back it would make African-Americans safe all over the world. This was deemed the "Back to Africa" movement. This so-called movement entailed the migration of prominent black figures back to Africa, where they would establish a strong foundation and tentative government for their new country. Once the "basics" were established, blacks all over the world would be welcome here. "However, he [Garvey] did not support full scale migration. He believed blacks should try to improve their conditions wherever they found themselves," (Garvey, 5). Jus... ...hters—but without their beginning efforts, the world today might be very different. It is important to realize, though, that before a child can run, he must first learn to crawl and then walk. The first steps are often the most important. These men took those steps and learned to mobilize themselves and others—an admirable movement. Works Cited and Consulted Dumenil, Lynn. The Modern Temper. New York: Hill and Wang, 1995. Garvey, Marcus. The UNIA Papers Project. http://www.isop.ucla.edu/mgpp/lifesamp.htm. 1925 McKissack, Patricia and Frederick. W.E.B Dubois. New York: Franklin Watt, 1990. Sewell, Tony. Garvey’s Children: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey. Trenton:Africa World Press, Inc., 1990. Stein, Judith. The World of Marcus Garvey: Race and Class in Modern Society. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1986. UCLA. http://www.isop.ucla.edu/mgpp/facts.htm. 1995