Amy Jacques Garvey -shoulder bag

Taupe (brown)leather shoulder/crossbody designer bag. Measuring 15" X 14" ( with additional 8" to tip of the hanging leather strips). Fully lined with two interior leather pockets and a  zipped closure. The  biscuit colored exterior of the bag  is circled with embellished leather pockets for quick access to your phone , etc. .This is a must have creatively made leather shoulder bag to show off!

Amy Euphemia Jacques Garvey (31 December 1895 – 25 July 1973) was a Jamaican-born journalist and activist. She was the second wife of Marcus Garvey. She was one of the pioneering female Black journalists and publishers of the 20th century. Adler says that Amy attended a conference being held by Marcus Garvey and was moved by his words, soon afterwards assuming the role of his private secretary and working alongside him and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). She also became involved with the publishing of the Negro World newspaper in Harlem from its inception in August 1918.

On July 27, 1922, several months after his previous marriage was severed,Marcus and Amy were married for the second time in Baltimore.

Jacques was said to have been Amy Ashwood's (Marcus Garvey's previous wife) chief bridesmaid in her wedding to Garvey. Ashwood attempted to have the second marriage annulled and failed, leaving Amy Jacques as Garvey's legitimate wife.

Garvey was said to have been an excellent speaker, having toured the country with and without her husband. After making a return from their western tour, Marcus was scheduled to speak in New York and Amy was not a part of the program.

Even though she was not scheduled to speak at the event she was allowed to because of the mass outcry by the crowd. Adler believes that Marcus Garvey failed to show any appreciation for his wife despite her growing fame in the public forum. Amy, however, did not pose an initial threat to Garvey. Given her strong beliefs in her position as his wife, and the structure of the organization, Amy took a back seat, as did other women in the UNIA .The grievances were made public at UNIA's national convention in 1922. Sexism found a means to thrive even in spite of UNIA's commitment to sexual equality. This being the case, women such as Amy Jacques Garvey found a way to become invaluable to the organization.

While supporting her husband's ambitions and the UNIA, Garvey began to focus on her own writings which made her known within the black community. In UNIA’s official newspaper, The Negro World, she’d have her own segment, “Our Women and What They Think”, where she touched on the struggles that Black Women in America face. As a Black feminist, she emphasized the importance of Black Women being educated in different aspects of life in order to have a brighter future for the next generation to live in a society where Black women aren’t seen as less than others. 

In light of unforeseen circumstances, Garvey was forced to assume a lead role in UNIA after Marcus was convicted of mail fraud on 21 June 1922, less than a year after their marriage. It is at this time that Garvey assumed interim leadership of UNIA. In addition to speaking all over the country to raise money for Garvey's defense fund, she edited and published volume 2 of the Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, two volumes of his poetry, The Tragedy of White Injustice and Selections from the Poetic Meditations of Marcus Garvey. While doing this she worked tirelessly with lawyers to get her husband out of jail, and kept UNIA moving forward by delivering speeches and meeting with the leadership of the group occasionally. Despite the effort that Garvey put into keeping Marcus's dream alive, Marcus rarely showed appreciation toward her. Garvey never assumed official leadership of the organization because Marcus would not allow Garvey died aged 77 on 25 July 1973, in her native Kingston, Jamaica.