Black Star Line controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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1922
Mail-fraud prosecution of Marcus Garvey
Federal prosecutors alleged that Black Star Line promotional material solicited investment using an image of Orion under the proposed name Phyllis Wheatley, although the company did not yet own the vessel. Garvey was convicted and sentenced to five years; three other officials were acquitted.
1919
Government infiltration and alleged sabotage
Bureau of Investigation agents infiltrated Garvey’s organization. Some historians have associated the infiltration with deliberate operational interference, including alleged damage to engines, although the scope and evidentiary basis of sabotage claims remain contested.