NEW ORLEANS—On Saturday, April 5, Muhammad Mosque No. 46 in New Orleans welcomed community members and leaders for a powerful and uplifting Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) gathering.
Organized under the theme “Learn, Build & Plan … Upon the Principles of the Honorable Marcus Garvey,” the event was a vibrant celebration of Black unity and empowerment. The UNIA was founded by Mr. Garvey, a revolutionary and freedom fighter, in 1914.
The meeting featured President General Akili Nkrumah of the UNIA-ACL who delivered the keynote address. His presence and message affirmed the enduring spirit of the Honorable Marcus Garvey, as he spoke in depth about Mr. Garvey’s life and mission, and the current goals and work of the UNIA.
His message emphasized the necessity of building independent institutions and fostering economic, political, and cultural unity among Black African people in America and abroad.
The program opened with welcoming remarks by Muhammad Yungai, president of the Queen Mother Estelle James/Black Star Line Division 466 of the UNIA-ACL in New Orleans.
Student Minister Willie Muhammad of the Nation of Islam’s Mosque No. 46 delivered remarks that reflected the similar work of the Nation of Islam and the UNIA-ACL in uplifting Black people through self-determination, unity, and faith in Allah (God).
Baba Mosi, Minister of Information and President of Division 330 in Washington, D.C., also offered remarks and introduced President General Akili Nkrumah.
After the keynote address, Jabari Shaw of the Oakland Division 510 energized the crowd with a conscious rap performance, bridging art and activism. The event concluded with remarks by Larry Hayes, vice president of the local division and a longtime advocate for Black advancement.
Louisiana once had over 70 active UNIA divisions, making it one of the strongest hubs of the Garvey movement. New Orleans remains a key city in preserving that legacy.
It also holds a unique historical significance as the city from which Mr. Garvey was deported in 1927 by the U.S. government that spied on and targeted his activism and work.
Mr. Garvey—a native of Jamaica and also the birthplace of the father of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan—was posthumously pardoned, by President Joe Biden in January before leaving office in a symbolic act of justice.
Brother Muhammad Yungai called the gathering “an extraordinary show of unity.”
“To use the mosque to call together different groups and individuals is an excellent example of working unity,” he said.
