The Garvey Classroom Opens Enrollment for The Power of the Mind, Purpose, and Perseverance—The Garvey Blueprint for Liberation
Miami, FL, September 24, 2025 — The Garvey Classroom, in partnership with the Marcus Garvey Education Academy, announces the launch of its flagship course: The Power of the Mind, Purpose, and Perseverance—The Garvey Blueprint for Liberation. This 12-week online program is designed to help learners sharpen clarity of thought, define purpose, and cultivate the discipline required for liberation in today’s world.
Grounded in Marcus Garvey’s African School of Philosophy and Message to thePeople, the course aligns Garvey’s legacy with African-centered traditions such as Ma’at and Ubuntu, while engaging the insights of Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Linda James Myers, and Clinton Hutton.
Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey, endorsed the program, stating: “This course faithfully carries forward my father’s vision. It engages participants in the process to know themselves, define their purpose, and persevere in the face of obstacles and injustice.”
Early participants are already seeing transformation. One remarked: “Professor Philp presents a thoughtfully conceived program, curated to animate the teachings of Marcus Garvey by lifting his wisdom up from the written word into lived experience. The objective is Liberation—internally and externally.”
Reflection practices and writing exercises guided by Unstoppable You: 50Quotes From Marcus Garvey to Inspire Greatness and The Power of the Mind, Purpose and Perseverance: A Garvey Reader.
Limited-time enrollment: Registration closes October 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Tuition: $149. Early registrants receive a free digital study guide.
The Garvey Classroom is an educational initiative dedicated to advancing the liberatory philosophy of Marcus Garvey for 21st-century learners. By blending Garvey’s teachings with African-centered values and engaged pedagogy, The Garvey Classroom prepares students to think with clarity, act with purpose, and persevere toward collective liberation.
Our children inherit more than names and faces. They inherit stories—some told proudly, others buried under the weight of colonial lies. Too often, history textbooks shrink Africa to a footnote, skip over Garvey’s thunder, and flatten the voices of women, rebels, and dreamers.
The Liberation Library is here to change that. It is not a playlist. It is a map of resistance, purpose, and liberation across centuries. Each film is a spark. Each voice pushes back against forgetting.
By pairing each module with living voices, students experience Garvey’s blueprint as practice: rooted identity, clear purpose, steady perseverance, and collective liberation. Garvey said, ‘We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind.’ Each film is a mirror for that work.
I was in my late teens when I discovered The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. I knew that Garvey was saying something important, but at that time, I neither had the skill nor the experience to process what he was teaching. His words felt urgent and necessary, but the meaning eluded me. Yet, I kept getting hints about the depth of his message, especially when I decided to become a teacher at West Miami Middle School.
Even though I had a master’s degree in English, the State of Florida mandated that I take education courses through the Department of Education. At first, I thought it was a waste of time—more red tape standing between me and my students. Then, something shifted as I studied developmental education and encountered the theories of Piaget, Erikson, and especially Maslow.
When I combined my newfound knowledge of human development with my ongoing study of Garvey, everything clicked. I realized that Garvey wasn’t just giving speeches or building organizations—he was teaching Black people how to assert our full humanity in a country designed to deny it.
His quotes didn’t just inspire; they mapped perfectly onto Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but with a crucial difference. They transformed universal human needs into a specific survival and liberation guide for Black people navigating the particular violence of life in America.
How Marcus Garvey’s Quotes Address the Specific Reality of Black Needs in America
Abraham Maslow proposed that all humans are motivated by five levels of needs: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. When I examine Marcus Garvey’s quotes through this lens, I see something more specific and urgent: a liberation strategy that speaks to what it means to pursue human needs through the Black experience. Garvey’s teachings systematically address how anti-Black racism distorts and denies every level of human motivation.
The genius of Garvey’s approach becomes clear when we understand that he wasn’t speaking about abstract human development. He was speaking to Black people whose access to basic humanity was constantly under attack. His quotes become instructions for claiming and protecting our humanity within systems designed to crush it.
Level 1: Physiological Needs – When Being Black Makes Survival Political
At the foundation of Maslow’s pyramid sit our most basic needs: food, water, shelter, and safety. For Black people in America, even these fundamental requirements become sites of struggle. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the median wealth gap between white and Black households reached $240,120, meaning Black families have only $44,890 in median wealth compared to $285,000 for white families. When Garvey declared, “Chance has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people,” he was addressing the specific reality that Black communities couldn’t rely on American systems to meet even our most basic needs.
Garvey understood that waiting for white America to feed, house, and employ us was waiting for death. He launched the Negro Factories Corporation, established the Black Star Line shipping company, and created businesses that could meet physiological needs through Black ownership. His quote speaks to the urgency of Black self-reliance: “A race that is solely dependent upon another for economic existence sooner or later dies.”
This wasn’t abstract economic theory—it was Black survival strategy. Today’s food deserts in Black neighborhoods, predatory lending that denies Black homeownership, and employment discrimination prove that meeting basic needs while Black requires intentional community-building and economic independence that white Americans take for granted.
Level 2: Safety and Security – When Protection Becomes Self-Defense
Once physiological needs are met, humans seek safety and security. Garvey recognized that for Black people in America, traditional forms of protection—police, courts, social services—often became sources of danger rather than safety.
Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that Black students are 3.8 times more likely to receive out-of-school suspensions than white students and 2.3 times more likely to be referred to law enforcement, demonstrating how systems designed to protect actually criminalize Black children. He advocated for intellectual and institutional self-defense as the only reliable protection for Black communities.
“The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind,” Garvey taught. Through the UNIA, he established schools, trained the Black Cross Nurses, and created newspapers because he understood that for Black people, knowledge was protection from violence and exploitation.
Garvey’s emphasis on mental development as security remains essential when Black people must navigate systems designed to trap and harm us. We cannot depend on America to keep us safe—we must create our own safety through knowledge, organization, and community control.
Level 3: Love and Belonging – Healing What White Supremacy Broke
The third level of Maslow’s hierarchy addresses our need for love, belonging, and connection. For Black people in America, anti-Black racism systematically destroys our sense of belonging and sometimes to each other.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 19.7% of Black adults experienced a mental health condition in the past year, yet only 39% of Black Americans received mental health services compared to 52% of white Americans. Garvey’s words attempt to heal these specific psychological wounds by creating a global sense of Black belonging that transcends the boundaries of white supremacy.
When he proclaimed that Black skin was “a glorious symbol of national greatness,” he was directly countering the daily messages that told Black people we were unwanted, unworthy, and unlovable. His vision extended beyond individual healing to collective belonging: “Africa for the Africans—those at home and those abroad!” he declared, creating a sense of global Black family that made us citizens of something larger than America’s limited imagination.
This quote addresses the love and belonging needs that white supremacy systematically attacks from birth. It provides the counter-narrative that Black communities need to feel worthy of love and capable of creating our own systems of care and connection when America fails us. We belong to each other, and that belonging transcends what any nation offers or denies us.
Level 4: Esteem and Recognition – Building Black Standards in a White World
The fourth level involves esteem needs—both self-respect and recognition from others. Garvey understood that Black people would never gain true esteem by seeking approval from systems designed to diminish us.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that Black students scored 30 points lower than white students in 8th-grade mathematics, while only 57% of Black students have access to the full range of math and science courses necessary for college readiness, compared to 71% of white students. He advocated for creating independent Black standards of excellence and recognition that didn’t require white validation.
“We must canonize our own saints, create our own martyrs, and elevate to positions of fame and honor Black men and women who have made distinct contributions to our racial history,” he taught. Through parades, ceremonies, and public celebrations, Garvey made Black achievement visible and honored within Black communities, regardless of whether white America acknowledged our greatness.
This quote remains revolutionary because it rejects the idea that white approval is necessary for Black worth. It calls for the creation of Black cultural institutions that celebrate our excellence on our own terms, building the esteem that healthy human development requires. When America tells us we’re nothing, we must have our own mirrors that reflect our true magnificence back to us.
Level 5: Self-Actualization – Becoming Fully Human Despite America
At the pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy sits self-actualization: the realization of one’s full potential. For Black people in America, self-actualization requires overcoming centuries of programming that tells us we’re less than human. Garvey’s most powerful quotes call Black people to our highest possibilities while acknowledging the specific barriers we face.
“Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will!” he proclaimed, seeing no limits to Black potential when properly nourished and developed despite American attempts to stunt our growth. His famous declaration, “Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men,” speaks to the ultimate goal of Black liberation: becoming fully human in a context designed to keep us fractured.
When he said, “God and Nature first made us what we are, and then out of our own created genius we make ourselves what we want to be,” he was describing Black self-actualization as both birthright and resistance. These quotes don’t just inspire individual achievement; they call for collective Black self-actualization where entire communities realize their full potential as an act of defiance against white supremacy’s limitations.
Why Marcus Garvey Quotes and the Hierarchy of Needs Remain Essential for Black Liberation
When I look at contemporary movements for Black liberation, I see Garvey’s blueprint everywhere. From mutual aid networks addressing the specific ways anti-Blackness creates food insecurity to community education initiatives building safety through knowledge that centers Black experiences, the pattern persists. What makes Garvey’s approach timeless is its specificity to the Black experience in America.
Unlike universal approaches to human development that ignore how racism distorts basic needs, Garvey’s quotes provide a framework specifically designed for Black people navigating white supremacy. They recognize that our liberation requires meeting all human needs while simultaneously resisting the systems that deny us access to those needs.
The hierarchy also reveals why surface-level diversity initiatives fail to create lasting change for Black communities. When systems address esteem needs through representation while ignoring how anti-Blackness creates poverty, educational inequality, and violence, the foundation crumbles. We need strategies that understand how being Black in America transforms every level of human need into a site of struggle and resistance.
Building Black Liberation with Garvey’s Blueprint
Marcus Garvey quotes and the hierarchy of needs offer us more than historical insight—they provide a roadmap for contemporary Black liberation work that understands our specific context. When we map current organizing strategies onto this framework, we can identify gaps and strengthen our approaches to building Black power in America.
The work begins with asking specifically Black questions: How are we addressing physiological needs through Black cooperative economics and mutual aid when white systems fail us? How are we building safety through Black-controlled education and community defense when police and courts harm us? How are we fostering belonging through Black cultural celebration and global connection when America rejects us? How are we creating independent Black standards of esteem and recognition that don’t require white approval? Finally, how are we calling Black people to our highest potential while working toward collective liberation from white supremacy?
These questions guide Black liberation work that builds sustainable freedom. They honor Garvey’s understanding that our liberation must be as specific as the oppression we face and as complete as the Black human beings it seeks to free.
Ready to explore how Marcus Garvey’s wisdom can guide your own growth and development? Discover Unstoppable You, a comprehensive guide that connects Garvey’s most powerful quotes to daily practices, historical heroes, and actionable steps for personal and collective liberation.
Works Cited
Garvey, Marcus. Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Edited by Amy Jacques Garvey, The Majority Press, 1923.
Garvey, Marcus. Selected Writings and Speeches of Marcus Garvey. Edited by Bob Blaisdell, Courier Corporation, 2012.
Maslow, Abraham H. “A Theory of Human Motivation.” Psychological Review, vol. 50, no. 4, 1943, pp. 370-396.
Martin, Tony. Race First: The Ideological and Organizational Struggles of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Majority Press, 1976.
Summer vacations are never vacations for committed educators. Sure, they may take two weeks to decompress, but many teachers, especially those in the UK, are already preparing for Black History Month, which this year focuses on the theme of “Standing Firm.” Homeschooling parents scan resources for materials that honor our legacy with dignity. Both search for lessons that will matter. Meanwhile, families wonder how to extend these conversations beyond a single month. All face the same challenge: How do we teach Black history as a living, breathing force rather than a seasonal obligation?
I built the Garvey Classroom to answer that question. I’ve created lesson plans that focus on Garvey because it is my area of specialization. These lesson plans work effectively during Black History Month, yet they refuse to be confined to that month. Throughout the school year, during the transition weeks in March, when curricula shift elsewhere, these units continue to build the confidence our children deserve.
The Foundation of Story
Most educational resources mention Marcus Garvey in passing, reducing him to a name for memorization or dates for recall. Rather than engaging students meaningfully, existing lesson plans about Garvey concentrate on the lowest level of Bloom’s taxonomy: remembering dates, memorizing facts, and identifying basic information. My approach differs fundamentally. Beginning with either informational texts or stories, every Garvey Classroom lesson invites students to encounter authentic material first and then explore its deeper meaning.
This approach transforms learning. When a lesson opens with a story rather than a textbook summary, students connect with the man behind the movement. They hear his passion, sense his urgency, and feel his hope. From this authentic foundation, they explore questions that matter: Who am I in this world? What is my purpose? How do I cultivate a free mind?
Consider how this works in practice. Instead of reading about Garvey’s belief in Black excellence, students examine his speeches about self-determination. Rather than memorizing facts about the Universal Negro Improvement Association, they grapple with his vision of global unity and compare it to that of equally committed Pan-Africanists, such as W.E.B. Du Bois. They don’t just learn what happened. They discover what remains possible.
Principles That Guide Every LessonPlan
Each resource in The Garvey Classroom operates from core principles that distinguish it from conventional materials. These principles shape every activity, every question, and every moment of learning.
Story anchors understanding. Narrative and informational passages ground each lesson in real experience.
Essential questions spark reflection. Rather than surface-level queries, students wrestle with profound challenges: “How do I stand firm in who I am?” “What does freedom look like in my daily life?” These questions connect historical understanding to personal growth.
Heart and mind work together. I refuse to separate emotional development from academic achievement. The lesson plans incorporate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) to engage students emotionally in Garvey’s story and Black history. Students need both intellectual understanding and emotional connection to thrive; therefore, every lesson integrates social-emotional learning with rigorous academic content.
Creativity completes the circle. Students express their understanding through art, reflection, discussion, and creation. Worksheets serve as a means to learn when needed, but they never become the endpoint.
Lesson Plans for Educators
The lesson plans of Teachers Pay Teachers are drawn from decades of educational expertise. My six years as a middle school teacher, combined with thirty years as a professor at Miami Dade College, including thirteen years as chairperson of developmental education, taught me how to create developmentally appropriate materials that meet students where they are.
As an English teacher, through training and practice, I have developed the ability to use stories and texts to engage students meaningfully and effectively. Twenty years of researching and writing about Marcus Garvey as an author, blogger, and activist have given me a deep understanding of his philosophy and its relevance to today’s students. My blog, Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot, which has been in existence for over 25 years, contains extensive posts and insights that inform these lesson plans.
Each lesson plan reflects this foundation. Drawing on Piaget’s developmental stages, I recognize how kindergarten students learn differently from middle school students. By building effective scaffolding, my materials support student growth at every level. Through applying Bloom’s taxonomy, questions move students from basic recall to critical analysis. Years of reviewing countless syllabi at Miami Dade College and creating my own curricula revealed what makes instruction both educationally and psychologically sound.
Yet practicality never compromises purpose. Each lesson remains student-centered, focused on reflection and expression. Historical accuracy underpins every activity, drawing on primary sources and rigorous research. Students encounter what happened so they can envision what might become possible.
Classroom-tested design: Built from six years of middle school teaching and thirty years of college-level instruction, refined through real classroom experience
Developmentally appropriate content: Designed with an understanding of how students learn at each grade level
Student-centered approach: Focused on reflection, expression, and confidence-building
Historical accuracy: Sourced from primary texts, decades of Garvey research, and scholarly foundations
Your Next Steps
The Garvey Classroom exists for educators, parents, and advocates who build rather than wait. Those who understand that our future depends on how we teach our past and how we claim our present.
Begin by sharing these resources with your network. Download a free lesson plan and experience it in your own space. Engage students with the essential questions that spark real growth. Discuss Garvey’s ideas as living wisdom that speaks to today’s challenges.
Most importantly, use these tools as foundations for something larger. Let them become starting points for growth, clarity, and cultural strength that extends far beyond any single month or designated celebration.
Our children deserve an education that honors their brilliance throughout the year. The Garvey Classroom helps bring that vision to life.
Coming Soon: Lesson Plans for Standing Firm During Black History Month in the UK
In the next post, I’ll focus on the specific types of lesson plans we’re offering for Black History Month in the UK. Each one is designed to align with the theme of Standing Firm while honoring developmental needs and cultural context. From early years to secondary classrooms, these resources provide tools for confidence-building, critical thinking, and meaningful reflection.
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