“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.”
Dr. Carter G. Woodson was an extraordinary scholar and an important figure in the Afrocentrism movement. Being one of the first people to study African-American history and the history of the African diaspora at large, he is known today as the “Father of Black History,” for his incredible contributions to the field. His magnum opus, The Mis-education of the Negro (1933) and its spiritual predecessor The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 (1919) are considered to be among the most comprehensive studies of the history of African-American education in the United States published in the early twentieth century.
As individual works, The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 functions as a documentation of the ways in which obtaining education provided mental and intellectual freedom to both enslaved and freed Africans in America; and The Mis-education of the Negro explores the effects of slavery on Black minds, challenging the effectiveness and overall intent of the United States Educational System in regard to the cultural indoctrination of Black Americans.
Together, these two works laid the foundation for Woodson’s argument in favor of Black History Week, which would eventually grow to be recognized nationally as Black History Month; and are essential to the cultural understanding of the importance in recognizing African-American history as a legitimate field of study.
Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition of The Mis-education of the Negro is an indispensable reimagining of a crucial work of Black History for the modern reader.
Author Biography:
Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875 - 1950) was an author, historian, scholar, and
founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Born to an extremely poor family of formerly enslaved Africans, Woodson grew up
on a farm in New Canton, Virginia. Largely self-taught due to a lack of
consistent access to school, Woodson was nevertheless able to master most
academic subjects and carry with him the pride of being born free. He left home
with his older brother at the age of seventeen in hopes of pursuing secondary
education at the Douglass High School and despite many hardships, worked
tirelessly until he was able to achieve that goal and receive his diploma. Over
the next twenty years, he would begin his academic career and embark on an
educational journey from the University of Chicago to Harvard, becoming the
second African-American to earn a doctorate and the only African-American to be born of enslaved parents and
receive a doctorate in History. Despite his many academic achievements, Woodson
was shut out of employment opportunities in higher education due to racism
and—growing increasingly frustrated—he set out to create an institution that
would make it possible for Black scholars to study the history of their people.
With the aid of William D. Hartgrove, George Cleveland Hall, Alexander L.
Jackson, and James E. Stamps, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of
Negro Life and History in 1915. The very next year, the Association would begin
publishing The Journal of African American History which would be released quarterly without fail even in
the face of massive economic downturn and world war. Woodson also worked
tirelessly to produce his own books on African-American History over the next
thirty years including but not limited to: A Century of Negro Migration (1918), The Education of the Negro
Prior to 1861 (1919), The History of the Negro Church (1921) the first survey of free Black slaveowners in
the United States, Free Negro Owners of Slaves in the United States in 1830 (1924) and his magnum opus, The Mis-education of the Negro (1933). During this period of continuous
academic output, Woodson also called for the celebration of “Negro History
Week.” First observed in 1926, Woodson sought to emphasize “the Negro in
history,” with parades, speeches, poetry readings, and lectures. Woodson’s
efforts—both academic and political—also placed him at the center of Black
intellectual life throughout the late 1920s and early 1940s, he even wrote for
Marcus Garvey’s newspaper The Negro World until knowledge of Garvey’s meetings with the Klu Klux
Klan became public. Having completely dedicated his life to the research,
Woodson lived out the rest of his days devoted to the preservation of
African-American history. While he would meet his ultimate end in 1950, Dr. Carter
G. Woodson’s life and work continue to live on in America today.
