The "founding father" of the back-to-Africa movement is largely considered to be Martin Delaney. He was an African American abolitionist, journalist, physician, and writer who advocated for the repatriation of African Americans to Africa. Delaney believed that African Americans would never find true equality in the United States and saw Africa as the homeland where they could live freely and independently.
Delaney was a prominent figure in the 19th-century Black Nationalist movement and was one of the first to explore the idea of African Americans establishing their own nation in Africa. His advocacy for African American emigration to Africa laid the foundation for the back-to-Africa movement, which aimed to reconnect African Americans with their African heritage and create a sense of self-determination.
Through his writings and activism, Martin Delaney inspired and influenced future leaders of the back-to-Africa movement, making him a key figure in the history of African American efforts to seek autonomy and self-determination.
