MESSAGE TO THE PARENT BODY:
The UNIA Fundamental ...by Marcus Garvey

One of the fundamental desires of the UNIA is to approach every Negro with the attitude of friendship, brotherhood and sympathy. theefore, every representative of the association must adopt an attitude that works to bring about the realization of such a desire.

It may be necessary to use a great amount of tolerance to reach the desired end, but whatever is necessary must be done to bring about such a state of affairs. The policy is that you cannot drive a Negro away from the organization and still want to organize all the Negroes. Every Negro that is lost prevents the ultimate achievement of the aims of the organization; so never try to drive a member out of the organization. Hold him and convert him.

The attitude of expelling members and suspending members is not accepted with good grace, and should be resorted to only under the most extreme circumstances. The attitude should be adopted to find an alternative to expulsion.

The best way to prevent dissatisfaction in a division is to live up to the constitution and by-laws because it is only with the constituion and by-laws that you can discipline a member. If a member violates the constitution and by-laws, you can reasonably draw the violation to his or her attention.

You cannot show partiality in a division of the Association or in the work of the Association. You must be impartial to maintain the principles of the Association as the attraction for those who do not know anything about the Association.

Never cease in your efforts to influence a Negro to join the Association until he has joined. So long as he stays out of the UNIA, the work of uniting all the Negroes cannot be accomplished. Always remember that you are a missionary for the cause of the Association, so lose no opportunity that may present itself to make converts for the Association.

Excerpt taken from Lesson #21 from the School of African Philosophy.

GARVEY SPEAKS Vol.3