The Black Canada: Universal Negro Improvement Association, Diaspora and Amefricanity

Abstract The article seeks to analyze race relations in Canada and the actions of the Universal Negro Improvement Association in the country in the first decades of the twentieth century. Founded by Marcus Garvey and Amy Ashwood, in 1914, in Jamaica, the organization would play a central role both in the consolidation of the black community in Canada and in Garvey’s influence in North America, after his deportation from the USA. Through dialogue with contemporary Canadian authors from the fields of History, Sociology and Literature, the article intends to revisit the category of Amefricanity, created by Lélia Gonzalez, to build an analysis dedicated to the concept of diaspora. Highlighting comparative and transnational trends, the main hypothesis is that Canada’s effective insertion in debates on diaspora offers new insights into the flows and transits of black individuals and their ideas in post-emancipation Americas.