About Us

The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey established the UNIA ACL on July 20, 1914 in Kingston, Jamaica.

Established since 1914

Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey established the UNIA ACL on Monday, July 20, 1914 in Kingston, Jamaica. Mr. Garvey built a mass organization that went beyond mere civil-rights agitation and protest and based itself upon a definitive, well-thought-out program that would lead to the total emancipation of the Black race from foreign dominion.

History of Name

Origin Of Organization Name

Where did the name of the organization come from? It was while speaking to a West Indian Negro who was a passenger with me from Southampton, who was returning home to the West Indies from Basutoland (prsent day Lesotho) with his Basuto wife, I further learned of the horrors of native life in Africa. He related to me in conversation such horrible and pitiable tales that my heart bled within me. Retiring from the conversation to my cabin, all day and the following night I pondered over the subject matter of that conversation, and at midnight, lying flat on my back, the vision and thought came to me that I should name the organization the Universal Negro Improvement (Conservation) Association and African Communities (Imperial) League. Such a name I thought would embrace the purpose of all Black humanity. Thus to the world a name was born, a movement created, and a man became known.

HEAD QUARTERS

The International Headquarters of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African communities League is located at: 1609-11 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19121, with Hon. Michael R. Duncan as Administrator and President General.

The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities’ League is a social, friendly, humanitarian, charitable, educational, institutional, constructive and expansive society, and is founded by persons desiring to the utmost to work for the general uplift of the Negro peoples of the world. And the members
pledge themselves to do all in their power to conserve the rights of their noble race and to respect the rights of all mankind, believing always in the Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God. The motto of the organization is “One God! One Aim! One Destiny!” Therefore, let justice be done toall mankind, realizing that if the strong oppresses the weak, confusion and discontent will ever mark the path of man but with love, faith and charitytowards all the reign of peace and plenty will be heralded into the world and
the generations of men shall be called Blessed.

What We Believe

The Universal Negro improvement Association advocates the unity and blending of all Negroes into one strong, healthy race.

Productivity

There is an intimate relationship between the means of production and the character of a people & the nature of economic relationships.

Proud

It believes that the Negro race is as good as any other, and therefore should be as proud of itself as others are.

Purity

It believes in the purity of the Negro race and the purity of the other races.

Self Reliant Economics

After a people have successfully established a firm industrial foundation, they naturally turn to politics and society, but not first to society and politics, because the two latter cannot exist without the former.