Marcus Garvey, Langston Hughes, Charles S. Johnson summary and biographies

2.  Jamaican-born black nationalist who created a 'Back to Africa'
movement in the United States. He became an inspirational
figure for later civil rights activists.
 Born in St Ann's Bay, Jamaica on August 17th, 1887
 At the age of 14 he left school and became a printer's apprentice
where he led a strike for higher wages
 From 1910 to 1912, Garvey travelled in South and Central
America and also visited London
St. Ann’s Bay,
Jamaica

3. Continued…
 Returned to Jamaica and founded the Universal Negro
Improvement Association (UNIA)
 Moved to Harlem, NY in 1916, where UNIA thrived
 Became a public speaker and urged African-Americans to be
proud of their race and return to Africa, their ancestral
homeland and attracted thousands of supporters
 Spoke across the country
 In 1919 Garvey founded the Black Star Line, to provide
transportation to Africa, and the Negro Factories Corporation to
encourage black economic independence
 Tried to persuade the government of Liberia in west Africa to
grant land on which black people from America could settle, but
was unsuccessful

4. Continued…
 In 1922, Garvey was arrested for mail fraud in connection with
the sale of stock in the Black Star Line, which had now failed
 Was sent to prison and later deported back to Jamaica
 In 1935 he moved to London
 Died June 10, 1940
 Jamaica declared him the countries first national hero

5. Langston Hughes
 Born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1st, 1902
 Began writing poetry when he moved to
Lincoln Illinois to live with his mother and
stepfather
 After graduating from high school, he spent a
year in Mexico followed by a year at
Columbia University in New York City.
During this time, he held odd jobs such as
assistant cook, launderer, and busboy
 Travelled to Africa and Europe working as a
seaman

6. Continued…
 In November 1924, he moved to Washington, D.C. Hughes's
first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, (Knopf, 1926) was
published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926
 Finished his college education at Lincoln University in
Pennsylvania three years later
 In 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter, (Knopf, 1930) won
the Harmon gold medal for literature

7. Continued…
 Known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black
life in America from the twenties through the sixties.
He wrote novels, short stories and plays, as well as
poetry, and is also known for his engagement with the
world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing
 He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that
reflected their actual culture, including both their
suffering and their love of music, laughter, and
language itself
 Wrote humorous poems and geared them towards
people who could simply read

8. Continued…
 In addition to leaving us a large body of poetic
work, Hughes wrote eleven plays and
countless works of prose
 Died of complications from prostate cancer in
May 22, 1967, in New York City

9.  Born in Bristol, Virginia on July 24th,
1893
 Was sent to boarding school at a young
age and later sent to Virginia Union
University in Richmond to study sociology
 Editor, Author, and Educator
 Trained in sociology at the University of
Chicago, Johnson studied and wrote
about race relations in the United States
and abroad

10.  He finished his degree although his studies were
interrupted because he became an officer in France
during World War I
 Principal author of The Negro in Chicago: A study of
Race Relations and a Race Riot, 1919 - a landmark
study of race relations sponsored by the Chicago
Commission on Race Relations
 He moved to New York in 1921 and began work for
the National Urban League as its national director of
research and investigations; he also became the
editor of the League's new magazine called
Opportunity: a Journal of Negro Life. As editor,
Johnson was instrumental in attracting, encouraging,
and supporting those young Black writers and artists
who produced the Harlem Renaissance. The annual
Opportunity prizes recognized the achievements of

11.  In 1926, Johnson was given the position
of the Chair of the Sociology Department
at Fisk University at Nashville
 He continued his support of the Harlem
Movement
 20 years later he became the 1st black
president of the University
 Died in Louisville, Kentucky on October
27th, 1956.

12. Works Cited
• 1. Marcus Garvey." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/garvey_mar
cus.shtml>.
• 2. Langston Hughes." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets,
n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83>.
• 3. Charles S. Johnson Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks
Television, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/people/charles-s-johnson-
21369565>.
• 4. Reuben, Paul P. "PAL: Charles S. Johnson (1893-1956)."
PAL: Perspectives in American Literature. N.p., 02 Nov.
2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
<http://archive.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/john
son_charles.html>.