[5] Amy Jacques Garvey was urged by her father to read periodicals and newspapers to "enhance" her knowledge of the world.

[6] Upon graduating school and receiving some of the highest honors of the time, Garvey was recruited to work at a law firm.

[8] 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).

[12] Ashwood attempted to have the second marriage annulled and failed,[12] leaving Amy Jacques as Garvey's legitimate wife.

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.

Amy Jacques Garvey was not scheduled to speak, however, in response to the overwhelming outcry from the crowd, the plans for the speech were altered.

[8] Adler believes that Marcus Garvey failed to show any appreciation for his wife despite her growing fame in the public forum.

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 .

[16] 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,[17] less than a year after their marriage.

While doing this she worked tirelessly with lawyers to get her husband out of jail, and kept the UNIA moving forward by delivering speeches and occasionally meeting with the leaders of the group.

In 1944 she wrote "A Memorandum Correlative of Africa, West Indies and the Americas", which she used to convince the U.N. representatives to adopt an African Freedom Charter.

Garvey died aged 77 on 25 July 1973, in her native Kingston, Jamaica,[13] and was interred in the churchyard of Saint Andrew's Parish Church.