When things unsaid, say a lot
AFRICAN AMERICANS, EDUCATION, FEATURED, RACIAL EQUITY — BY GUEST AUTHOR ON JUNE 24, 2010 AT 6:17 AMBy Monise Seward
“Negroes have no control over their education and have little voice in their other affairs pertaining thereto…The education of the Negroes, then, the most important thing in the uplift, of the Negroes, is almost entirely in the hands of those who have enslaved them and now segregate them.” Carter G. Woodson,The Mis-Education of the Negro.
In 1933, Woodson wrote those words describing the condition he termed the ‘mis-education’ of the Negro to describe the manner in which many Blacks had been educated, by Whites, using textbooks that literally eliminated the existence and contribution of people of African descent. You may wonder, “is his theory still relevant today?”
Absolutely, but it is as subtle today as it was then, especially if you are not paying close attention.
I would like to share a few examples of how our country’s public education system continues to mis-educate generations of Black and Brown children. Those who openly call attention to this injustice are few and often work outside the system, they are labeled as radicals and treated as outcasts. I anxiously await my own induction into this unique group, because I am immune to indoctrination and refuse to sell my soul, or those of innocent children, to ease the guilt of those perpetuating the mis-education.
So, what re-ignited my disdain for this unwritten rule of mis-educating? It all started innocently; a few weeks ago, I received a free copy of Frederick Hess’ Education Unabound: The promise and practice of Greenfield Schooling. I was excited because, the book was free, but also because I was interested in reading what others say about the current education reform craze. I hesitate to