Miseducation of a Negro – Carter G. Woodson

By: Shan'Tiera Clark Written in 2018

Learning is the permanent change in behavior that is the result of experience; this means that learning has to do with experience. When people are depending on you, you can change your behavior to change their behavior. There are three types of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Classical conditioning is the power of association. This learning process is associated between a previously neutral stimulus and a stimulus that naturally evokes a response. In the Pavlov’s dog experiment the assimilation of the smell of dog food brought about the association of a ringing bell. Eventually, the sound of the bell was able to lead to the dog salivating. Operant conditioning is the reward and punishment learning process. It is the probability of a response occurring which increased or decreased due to reinforcement or punishment. This learning shows the consequences of our actions shape voluntary behavior. People want to know that you care, therefore; if you show that you care people are more likely to show a more positive behavior. However, negative reinforcement is not effective because it’s something that people already don’t care for. You can’t take something away that they want you to take away. The same goes for physical punishment; physical punishment only suppress behavior it does not change behavior. Observational learning is the process of learning through observation and then imitating others. In the Bobo Doll experiment, children imitated the actions of others without direct reinforcement. The most important elements of observational learning is attention, motor skills, motivation and memory.  

Carter G. Woodson believes that we have been conditioned, and we have to be reconditioned in order to change that. Mis-educated individuals lead to the cycle of continuing to miseducate. Woodson says that the system has failed to teach “REAL” Negro History in schools. There was a limited amount of information provided to blacks because most history books didn’t represent the black man’s presence. Instead, they portrayed them as less human, menial, had subordinate roles. They challenged the African background; nothing signified that African Americans had skills abilities, or contributions in America. Woodson believed this was a tragedy which doomed blacks to be brain-washed to accept the inferior role assigned to them by the dominant race and absorbed through teaching. Ultimately, this took away black children’s heritage and redirected them to nothing and no one.  

Due to the lack of black studies black people began to have a void from having insecurities, intra-racial cleavages, and interracial antagonisms. In fact, the study of the black man is still new in this generation. There is still a lack of information for our black people about our black people. This is why black people need to study ourselves, because nobody else cares to inform us; therefore, we must inform ourselves. A significant issue with the mis-education of negros was that there was not much money to go into the black education compared to the education for those that were white. Black education was not important when it came to managing finances at schools that were of a segregated system. Although, there was some schools in the north that were racially mixed they still generally reflected attitudes of whites about black education in the United States.  

Carter G. Woodson believed that everyone should be given the opportunity to do their best. Therefore, he suggested equal educational opportunities regardless of their financial status. Although, information alone was not education; it would take time to study African Americans and their role in the society in order to break the cycle of mis-education. We must be able to know where we come from to know where we are going. Nonetheless, we will be able to successfully break the cycle of mis-education and educate more effectively.