The UNIA of Ambler
- Yen Ho
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was founded by Marcus Garvey. The idea behind the organization was to uplift and unite the naturalization of African Americans around the world. How did Garvey's idea spread worldwide? How did Ambler get involved?
Marcus Garvey's Political Involvements
Marcus Garvey was born in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, the youngest of 11 children. Growing up, Marcus loved to read from the library his father had in their home with volumes of books. During his teenage years, he began to develop into an independent man, and hoped to uplift his own people someday. Ever since moving to Jamaica's capital Kingston, Marcus got involved in the political world. One of the movements that influenced him was Pan-Africanism, an idea which aims to unite and unify the people of African descent. he was also involved in another movement lead by Sandy Cox that combat the evils of British colonialism in Jamaica.
Fun Fact # 1: Marcus was exiled in Costa Rica for fighting for British West Indian laborers' protection rights.
His movement went international and reached England where he was involved in public speaking at Hyde Park and working in newspaper companies like the Africa Times and Orient Review, a famous Pan-African journal during its time. He was mentored by Dusé Mohammed Ali. His experience being in England helped him express knowledge of the widespread suffering of black people.
"In the pages of the Africa Times And Orient Review there appeared regularly articles by and about such leading Black figures as Booker T. Washington, Edward Wilmot Blyden, John Edward Bruce, William Ferris, to name a few. Garvey also came into contact with Black seamen and students, whose sufferings he observed, and with the many people of color who visited the offices of the journal. And the fact that the journal combined a Pan-African outlook with wide coverage of Middle and Far Eastern nationalist struggles, and indeed all anti-colonial struggles, contributed further to Garvey’s growth and influenced his future outlook. However, it was Garvey’s research at the British Museum that would solidify his zeal to uplift the African race. Garvey read and studied the history of Egypt and concluded that until there is a self-reliant independent economic system, a people or a nation would never control its destiny. This is how ancient Egypt (Kemet) became the world’s first global economy. Garvey would later use the image of Pharaoh Khafre (on the sphinx) as the logo of the Negro World newspaper."
- Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey Biography
After returning to Jamaica, Marcus was motivated to create a brand new organization, and used his experience from England to create the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.
UNIA in Ambler
On April 19, 1921, the UNIA was formed in Ambler. Before it was formed, a meeting was held at the Emmanuel AUMP Church that discussed having the UNIA organized in the area. The president of the Ambler branch was Howard Gordon, John Ford as secretary, and Jefferson Carr as treasurer.
In February 1921, they talked efforts to raise two million dollars to build a railroad in Africa to connect with the Black Star Line from the United States.
There was a UNIA store on Main Street in Ambler where Jefferson Carr was the proprietor at the time.
It's unknown how long the organization lasted in Ambler.
Learn more about the society that wanted to help freed slaves move back to Africa by clicking the button below!
Bibliography
"Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey Biography." U.N.I.A./A.C.L. Accessed August 13, 2025. https://unia-aclgovernment.com/history/hon-marcus-mosiah-garvey-biograph/.
"Town Topics." Ambler Gazette. February 10, 1921. Page 5. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_8296.
"Town Topics." Ambler Gazette. October 19, 1922. Page 5. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_10119.
Comments