Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, August 3, 1920, the Universal Negro Improvement Association is having its first international convention.

Huge parades are being held in Harlem with bands and choirs and contingents of delegates from Canada, the Caribbean,

Central America, West Africa, and of course officers and leaders of the UNIA organization based

here in the United States. This was in large part the work of

Marcus Garvey who is someone we haven't really discussed on this show.

There are other notable facts about Marcus Garvey but for our purposes that suffices this is the first time we're talking about Marcus Garvey, but for our purposes that suffices, this is the first time we're talking about Marcus Garvey on the show.

Add that to his Wikipedia entry.

They did not talk about him on this day in Esantech political history until like 250 episodes in.

But this is our chance to talk about Garvey, back to Africa,

the UNIA, and lots more.

So here to do that, as always, are Nicole Hammer of Columbia

and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley.

Hello there. Hello Jody. Hey there. So Kelly let's start I mean there's so much to say about

Garvey but let's start with just this this convention and these

parades in Harlem like take us there. What do we sort of need to know about the

texture of this moment in early August 1920? This is probably one of the biggest gatherings of black

people of the African diaspora that has ever met up in New York City. You have over 22

countries represented. You have tens of thousands of people trying to get

inside Madison Square Garden, which is the largest gathering

place that all of these people could meet up in one location.

...