The MisEducation of the Negro by Carter G Woodson belongs among the list of “must-reads” for every African American household. First published in 1933, the information in this book (sadly) is just as relevant today as it was then. At its heart this book is about the deplorable state of the educational system as it relates to African Americans, and is centered around the lack of authentic African/African American history in schools.
On an even deeper level this book reveals the deliberate and calculated plan of America’s Educational System, to provide African American students with a sub-standard education so that they will not be able to compete academically, economically or socially with their white counterparts. The main idea being to give African American students “training” so that they could work the jobs, and to provide white students with “education” so that they could run commerce and industry – in other words, the plan was to purposely create a lower class of workers and an upper class of executives, managers and business owners.
This book was light years ahead of its time as it examined the effects of negative images and books on the mind, and brought into the light of day the deliberate erasure of any positive African history from every book to be used in schools to educate African Americans.
This also book reveals a fact that many are only just now beginning to grasp, basically if you cannot see or imagine yourself being successful, you can never become successful. Even more despicable is that this was a planned attack on our people.
Dr. Woodson in his book uncovers the plot to deliberately manufacture and disseminate disparaging and inaccurate images of people of African descent around the country, and more importantly to teach it to the youth from the time they enter kindergarten to the time they exit high school, or if they’re lucky or especially talented – college. Also discussed is how this system becomes “self perpetuating” meaning that one generation of mis-educated people teaches the next generation in what then becomes a vicious cycle that is designed to keep our people ignorant of themselves and of this crime that has been committed against our minds.
If used properly this book can be used as a valuable blue print for counter acting the system that was put into place right after the time of slavery and is still existent today. If you know where there are gaps in your child’s education, parents and teachers can make them up, by providing students with the great history of African people throughout the world, that occurred both BEFORE and AFTER the time of slavery, that rarely gets taught in inner city urban schools. By creating curriculums that focus on developing the talents, creativity and inner light in our students, and by providing students with positive images of African American success, happiness and wholeness so that they might aspire to greatness.
At just 106 pages, this book is an easy read and a good place to start if you want to understand why our people appear to be missing from text books any time prior to the African Slave Trade, and if you are questioning why there is such a disconnect between African American children and their attitude toward schools and education.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this book a TEN as a must-read!
The time is now to go back and claim your true history and knowledge – to use it to change your world for the better. – This is the Spirit of Sankofa
Book Review by Keith D. Young – www.AfroPerspectives.com
