RESOURCE, Manchester — The teachings of Marcus Garvey, and Garveyism embracing Jamaica’s first National Hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey have been approved for 23 primary schools.

The national hero’s son, Dr Julius Garvey said the Marcus Garvey in Schools Foundation received a letter dated February 23 from the Ministry of Education and Youth, giving permission for an extension of a pilot project to have Garvey’s teachings in primary schools.

Twenty-two early childhood and basic schools took part in the first phase of the pilot project last year.

“… We have permission now to make our mission, which is to teach Garveyism. His philosophy is important in so many ways in terms of religion; education; sociology; business; organisation in terms of foundational philosophy for all Jamaicans and indeed for all African people and indeed for the world,” Dr Garvey told his audience at a welcoming ceremony at Liberty Hall in Resource, south Manchester, on Friday.

Dr Garvey during his presentation read the letter signed by acting chief education officer in the ministry, Dr Kasan Troupe, which was addressed to chairman of the Marcus Garvey in Schools Foundation Major (Ret’d) Effiom Whyte.

“Relative to the teachings of Garvey in schools, the Ministry of Education and Youth supports all efforts designed to impact the lives of Jamaicans in ways that will reflect greater sense of pride in self and in nationhood consistent with Vision 2030 of Jamaica’s national development plan making Jamaica a place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business. In this context the Ministry of Education and Youth applauds your efforts your efforts in leading the Marcus Garvey in Schools Programme and hereby grants permission for the programme to be piloted in the selected schools,” the letter read.

Dr Garvey was presented with a symbolic key to the community of Resource at the ceremony, which was organised by the Manchester Parish Development Committee.

The Liberty Hall at Resource was the second meeting hall to be established in Jamaica for the various divisions of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) founded by Marcus Garvey in 1914.

Dr Garvey said commitments have been made to ensure that the legacy and teachings of Marcus Garvey are preserved.

“The time is right for us to rebirth Marcus Garvey in Jamaica [and] in this particular community (Resource), because you have the foundation here and we now have a number of willing people with significant resources in terms of academic resources as well as the commitment to move forward,” he said.

He added that the teachings of Garvey will facilitate a rebirth of the community and instill lessons in the minds of children.

“… We know that the programme that we put into the schools will be excellent and will turn out young Garveyites by getting them from the ages of five and six when their minds are fresh and they can be imprinted with truth and knowledge that allows them to be very conscious of themselves, very proud of themselves, very proud of their history,” said Dr Garvey.

“Their history is the longest history in the world. Their civilisation is the oldest civilisation in the world. They need this knowledge and they need to be able then to create in themselves and in the community a rebirth… it is all about the redemption of African people and rebirthing Africa in us, because that is who we are and we must manifest that to the best of our abilities and our goal is perfection that is our ideal. Perfect boys and girls. Perfect adults in a perfect society, it is not impossible at all, it has been done before and we can do it again,” he added.

Dr Garvey, in pointing to the establishment of Liberty Hall in Resource by Marcus Garvey 102 years ago, has embraced the idea for a museum to be developed at the location.

“My history tells me that the first Garvey was here in 1921 as his initial visit and that laid the foundation for the Liberty Hall and the community here which has developed overtime,” he said.

“I think that [the museum] is a wonderful effort that definitely needs to come to fruition and we will be helpful in any way that we can, because it will be central to the community and the community is more than the Liberty Hall here, but the surrounding community as well, it will be a repository of knowledge and content for surrounding communities and schools,” added Dr Garvey.