An anecdotal example is the potential dangers of Garvey's philosophy illustrated by my K-12 experience. My predominantly white public school district was not influenced by the different experiences of other races. I only received one story from my curriculum and teacher training. My understanding of the full, long-term impact of slavery was limited, and my exposure to the suffering of Asians, Mexicans, and Native Americans was almost nonexistent. Until I reached the higher level courses available to a small number of students, I was completely unaware of these different experiences, their impact, and how they affect perception and thinking. Our core history class spent more time on history that directly applied to my peers, like the glory of the Spanish missions and the California Gold Rush. Experiences determine perspective, and as such my perspective, and that of individuals in Garvey's uniform society, was (and would be) limited. But perhaps more importantly, I would be unlikely to recognize it if I were unable to understand what motivated Garvey's philosophy, as well as the philosophies of Washington and Du Bois, during the early period.