The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter Godwin Woodson

The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter Godwin Woodson

The Mis-Education of the Negro is a book originally published in 1933 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The thesis of Dr. Woodson's book is that blacks of his day were being culturally indoctrinated, rather than taught, in American schools. This conditioning, he claims, causes blacks to become dependent and to seek out inferior places in the greater society of which they are a part. He challenges his readers to become autodidacts and to do for themselves, regardless of what they were taught:

History shows that it does not matter who is in power... those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they did in the beginning.

Here is a quote from the book:

When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his 'proper place' and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.

Source: Wikipedi

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950) was a black historian, author, and journalist who founded the Society for the Study of African American Life and History. He was one of the first academics to recognize and research African-American history. He understood the value of people being aware of and knowledgeable about their contributions to humanity, and he left a lasting legacy. Dr. Woodson is regarded as the Father of Black History, having founded the Journal of Negro History (now known as the Journal of African-American History).