This article explores the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)–Central Division, one of the many Garveyite groups that formed in the wake of Marcus Garvey’s 1927 deportation. The Central Division was formed in Harlem in 1935 and was active until the early 1940s. I argue that Garveyism remained relevant throughout the late 1930s and that the Central Division helped African Americans in Harlem in two major ways through representation and community outreach. Representation occurred primarily on the local level in dealing with government officials. Central Division membership (and even non-members) could use the expertise of the group to help secure aid, legal advice, and citizenship assistance, or help with a myriad of problems. The Division provided their services free of charge and took an aggressive stance on behalf of hundreds of African American citizens throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. Community outreach consisted of a series of events, clubs, and events regularly sponsored by the Central Division ranging from trips to regular youth groups. While the years following Garvey’s deportation were not kind to the UNIA or its legacy, organizations such as the Central Division stretched diminishing resources in order to meet the direst needs of community members.
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27.
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