Before Malcolm X, there was Marcus Garvey, the O.G. firebrand and political activist. The first Black Nationalist.

And you know someone's important when his name becomes an "—ism." As in: Garveyism.

What was Garveyism? Oh, just a whole philosophy and movement that aimed to unify all of Africa under an exiled government. That's all. NBD.

But in all seriousness, Garvey was the person who defined Pan-Africanism, not just for the Harlem Renaissance, but for the whole world. Sounds ambitious, doesn't it?

That's the kind of guy Garvey was. He might not be your go-to brosef if you're brainstorming famous Harlem Renaissance writers, but his speeches and essays drummed up a serious following.

His political ideas also influenced the way other writers did their respective things. He didn't get along with everyone, including W.E.B. Du Bois, who thought he was way too radical. After all, Garvey did once meet with the leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

But you gotta respect Garvey for not shying away from controversy. He believed in empowering black Americans, and he stuck to his proverbial guns until the day he died.

"The Negro's Greatest Enemy"

Garvey didn't write too many autobiographical accounts, so this essay is a rarity. That alone would make a reading worthwhile. But on top of that, this work reveals how Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), a major pan-Africanist organization back in the day.

And—shocker—he also tells us who the Negro's greatest enemy is: the Negro himself. That's right. He argues that Negroes hold each other back. Can you hear the vicious debates a-brewing? We sure can.

The Negro World

This was a weekly newspaper Garvey edited. It was also the mouthpiece of the UNIA. It published some of the major writers of the day, like Zora Neale Hurston.

Oh, and by the way, The Negro World is still in operation today. Only now, it's a website (go figure). Talk about staying power.

Chew on This:

So how, exactly, did Garveyism inspire other writers' work? Take a look at Claude McKay's poem, "If We Must Die." Hint: McKay's speaker isn't about to go down without a fight.

Now, check out how Langston Hughes does pan-Africanism differently than the more radical Garvey. There's a reason Hughes dedicated "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" to W.E.B. Du Bois, and not to Garvey.