Laura Adorkor Kofey was born in 1875, outside of Accra in present day Ghana. She immigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1920's, and appears to have settled in Detroit for a time. Kofey claimed to have come at her father, King Knesipi's request, to encourage African Americans to move to Africa. Although her African parentage has been proven, the details of her life before she joined Marcus Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), are unknown. In 1926 Kofey moved from Detroit to Florida and became active in the Miami division of the UNIA. At this time, Garvey was imprisoned and problems arose when Kofey acted without his authorization. She collected funds from UNIA members, ostensibly to purchase a sawmill to send to Africa and also to provide African Americans passage to Africa. Because he believed she was taking advantage of his followers, Garvey publicly disassociated the UNIA from Kofey in 1927. In addition, UNIA officials accused Kofey of being a fraud; among other accusations, they claimed she was born in Georgia.

An eloquent speaker, Kofey rapidly acquired a large following, including many Garveyites. In order to organize her followers, she established the African Universal Church (AUC) in 1927. The church placed Garvey's ideology of black nationalism within a religious framework, stressing community advancement.

On March 8, 1928, Kofey was shot and killed while addressing a group of her followers in Miami. The UNIA was suspected of the murder, but nothing was ever proven. Kofey's followers continued to maintain the AUC, and the memory of their leader. After her death, the AUC established branches in New York, Alabama, and Georgia. In more recent years the number of AUC congregations has diminished.

The details of this biographical note were primarily drawn from Newman's article.

Richard Newman received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Maryville College. He went on to study at Union Theological Seminary, Syracuse University, and Harvard University. Newman taught at Vassar College, Syracuse University, and Boston University, where he was chairman of the Department of Social Sciences. He was later Senior Editor of G.K. Hall and Co. in Boston, and Executive Editor at Garland Publishing Inc. in New York. He has been with the New York Public Library since 1981.

His essay, “Warrior 'Mother of Africa's Warriors of the Most High God': Laura Adorkor Kofey and the African Universal Church”, appeared in his book, (1987). In addition, Newman has written and edited several other publications.