The Negro Joan of Arc and the Army of Amazons: The Life of Henrietta Vinton Davis

Lady Henrietta Davis was a key figure in the progress of the UNIA from its second beginning in New York to her self-imposed departure in 1934.  She was instrumental in galvanizing the lay membership in support of the Black Star Line, orchestrating talks between the UNIA and foreign governments, and mentoring the potential next cadre of UNIA officers.  Davis’ absence from comprehensive historical treatments stems in part from the focus of historians on Marcus Garvey and his wives as individuals as was previously mentioned.  Aside from this, Davis’ inability to fit readily into one of the dominant historical archetypes of the period which include proto-feminist, club woman or DuBois’ reconfigured “Mammy” image, noted in his “Damnation” essay, served to push her further into the historical shadows of the organization itself and its leader.  Further compounding the difficulties in rescuing Lady Davis from the fringes of history are misconceptions about her prominence both prior to and during her time as a UNIA official and about the motives of a woman over fifty who joined a group initially dominated by people aged forty and under.  This paper will discuss the presence of Lady Davis as a yet curiously a-political figure that galvanized women and men alike.