My Confession

Hello again, I’m back only for a brief moment as I have plans today to go jogging in about two hours and walk down the lakes to read another chapter of the book that I’m reading entitled, The Mis-education of the Negro (Woodson, 1933; 2000). First, let me begin by 'opening admitting something' that I haven’t shared with you—I was successful in getting a temporary job at a local agency in my community. I worked two days as a ‘Data entry key person’ where I key in entries. I did this job for two days before departing for the U.S. to visit my family during the month of December and have plans to continue taking temporary work at that site [like I said before, I plan to pay off my student debt and that is my goal].

As for the book that I’m reading, I want to share something with you. This piece of work was written in the 50’s and is reflective of that era; however, I feel that the illustrations are useful in a practical sense. I want to share with you an interesting quotation. This is an example of history that relates to ‘images’ as noted by the author (pg. 21)

In history, of course, the Negro had no place in this curriculum. He was pictured as a human being of the lower order, unable to subject passion to reason, and therefore useful only when made the hewer of wood and the drawer of water for others. No thought was given to the history of Africa except so far as it had been a field of exploitation for the Caucasian. You might study the history as it was offered in ours system for the elementary school throughout the university, and you would never hear Africa mentioned except in the negative. You would never thereby learn that Africans first domesticated the sheep, goat, and cow, developed the idea of trial by jury, produced the first stringed instruments, and gave the word its greatest boon in the discovery of iron.

Well, I am speechless! I am now departing to go take a walk by the lake.