Aaron Lake: Mis-education of Black students is appalling

In his landmark book "The Mis-Education of the Negro," published in 1933, Dr. Carter G. Woodson opined that the educational system was not being used to teach and nurture the intellectual capabilities of Blacks but rather to manipulate and condition them into accepting their inferiority. This pedagogy, Dr. Woodson believed, was an intentional and systemic effort to continue the oppression and suppression of Black intelligence, creativity and opportunity. By conditioning Blacks to view themselves as less than, their self-confidence, aspirations and true genius would never be realized. Further they would be less likely to confront injustices or to fight for the rights and privileges promised to them by their own government in its Declaration of Independence holding that, “all men were created equal."

It would take the Supreme Court 21 years from the publishing of Dr. Woodson’s book to affirm that he was correct, there was an ongoing, intentional Mis-Education of the Negro in America. In its historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling the highest court of the land determined the education of people of color was inherently unequal to that of White Americans. This inequality was all encompassing including facilities, quality and experience of teachers, access to educational materials including books and supplies as well as the factual content of the information and methods by which students were being taught.

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Another 21 years after Brown v. Board of Education a group of scholars developed what is now known as Critical Race Theory (CRT). This educational curriculum was intended to convey the dangers of reversing the momentum of the civil rights movement. The premise of CRT is that race is a social construct (made up), invented to oppress people of color and that racism is inherent in the educational system (all institutions) of the United States.

In 2020, nearly 90 years since the first printing of "The Mis-Education of the Negro," a Century Foundation study found that school districts with large numbers of Black and Hispanic students receive less funding than those with fewer students of color. The tragedy of this funding discrepancy is that research proves there is a significant correlation between spending and educational outcomes measured by grades and test scores. Considering that schools that serve predominantly Black and Brown students have significantly less experienced teachers who are paid well below the average salary for teachers nationwide, it comes as no surprise that Black and Brown students lag behind in terms of standardized test scores, scholarship opportunities and college admissions rates.

The intentional Mis-Education of anyone is an appalling and cruel manipulation. The systemic Mis-Education of an entire group of American citizens is an evil violation of both human and civil rights. Preventing individuals from having access to a quality, honest education has long term, generational consequences impacting self-esteem, upward mobility, crime, birth rates, drug use, mental health and earning potential.

A group called The Education Trust recently concluded that our education system is failing Black and Brown students. Students of color are missing out, by no fault of their own, on the critical leaning opportunities needed to prepare them for success in college and/or in the workforce rendering them more dependent and less secure.

In America we accept the axiom that education is power. History has proven that those who have not received a proper, formal education will likely view themselves as inferior and could become conditioned to being dependent upon others. Dr. Carter G. Woodson challenged his readers to learn how to provide for themselves regardless of what or by whom they have been taught. He warned that failure to do so would potentially relegate them to never being able to obtain the rights to which they were entitled. American education reformer Horace Mann wrote something to the effect that education is the great equalizer in a democratic society. Perhaps. But what we now know for certain is that Mis-Education is the best way to control and prevent a people from achieving their greatest potential. Mis-Education is cruel and poses the greatest threat to a people and to a society.

Aaron Lake is assistant pastor of Greater Grace Church.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Aaron Lake: Mis-education of Black students is appalling