“I regard the Klan, the Anglo-Saxon clubs and White American societies, as far as the Negro is concerned, as better friends of the race than all other groups of hypocritical whites put together.” Marcus Garvey had a vision in mind for our people, but it turned into a nightmare.
On June 25, 1922, Garvey met with an imperial wizard of the KKK in Atlanta to discuss their mutual opposition to interracial relationships and to compare views on social equality. He hoped the Klan would support him in creating a separate Black nation. His mission, however, was a disaster.
Other Black civil rights leaders shunned Garvey when they heard of the meeting. They escalated their “Garvey Must Go” campaign to discredit him and his movement. In 1923, Garvey was convicted of mail fraud and deported two years later.
Marcus Garvey didn’t mind being controversial. He praised Jim Crow laws for keeping white people away from Black people. He also made the false claim that since Black people had not built the railroads, they had no right to sit in cars with white people. Provocative comments like these drove a wedge between him and the majority of the Black population.
Discrimination is a product of colonialism and a breeding ground for dangerous ideas. Do you think Garvey was wrong for meeting with the KKK?