The Miseducation of (Black) America

I was always well aware of the accomplishments of the Black people of the great African civilizations, now long since forgotten, through my own research outside of the classroom. What is troubling to me, though, is that I wasn't always aware of the Black people who built my country: the United States. When a nation goes out of its way to purposely "miseducate" you, that's when you know that nation has no regard for your well-being and, more than that, straight up dislikes you—hates you even.

That is what, essentially, every Black person alive today will feel when their eyes are awoken by someone or something (hopefully, maybe this article) as to how fucked up our education system is when it comes to Black history. In elementary school, they shoved MLK down our throats until we knew that "I Have a Dream" speech by heart. But what they NEVER told us was how the richest person in recorded human history was a black man—King Musa I of the Mali Empire—which is ironic, given the Black community's longtime financial hardships. That information could have uplifted Blacks and maybe motivate some to think long and hard about generational wealth. Perhaps, we'd have a Black financial guru in the vain of Warren Buffet himself... who the hell knows?

Schools, however, were the White society's invention and, of course, they catered to their own children first before they tend to the needs of non-White children—this was especially the case in the sixties up until the early 2000s. White teachers had no problem reciting the heroics of Rosa Parks, yet never mentioned Sarah Breedlove, or more famously known as, "Madam C.J. Walker," the first (Black) female self-made millionaire in America. Why would they not tell us this? Did they want us to stay poor and hopeless for years and years until the end of time? ...Oh shit, I just answered my own question.

Or how about the fact that our history teachers and the history textbooks we had to read completely neglected to tell us about men like Wentworth Cheswell. This man of Black and White descent rode north to New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont to warn the folks there that the British were coming on the night of Paul Revere's Ride. It was because of Cheswell's efforts that New Englanders from the far north arrived in high numbers to aid the revolutionaries to thwart the British at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. I never heard of this man when I was in school and I'M FROM MASSACHUSETTS!! 31 YEARS—MY WHOLE FUCKIN LIFE—and I never heard of him until this year.

And what about Prince Estabrook? Ever heard of him? No? (Neither did I). Prince Estabrook was a black slave who fought at the Battle of Lexington and Concord and was the first black combatant in the American Revolution. He died in 1830 as a freedman (manumitted from slavery by his master after the American Revolution) and is buried in a graveyard in his hometown of Lexington, Massachusetts. A memorial honoring his selflessness and service to a country that didn't even recognize his freedom, was erected outside of the site where he (and others) first engaged British soldiers in 1775.

Ever heard of Prince Whipple? This Prince was born the son of wealthy Ghanaian parents (possibly descended from African royalty). He was sent to America as a boy to be educated, but, of course, was betrayed by a White ship captain and auctioned off into slavery, where he was purchased by General William Whipple of New Hampshire. He served in the American Revolutionary War (with zero recognition) and is famous for being immortalized in the 1851 oil painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by German-American painter Emanuel Leutze (Google that shit... he's located in the boat, at the front, near George Washington's front knee).

And what about James Armistead Layafette?This man, a black slave, operated as a double agent (spy) for both the Continental Army (Thirteen Colonies) and the British during the Revolutionary War. He fed lies to the traitor Benedict Arnold (who in turn fed Armistead's "intel" to major British commanders like General Cornwallis) and relayed critical information to General George Washington. Many historians consider him to be the biggest reason for us winning the Revolutionary War.

After I learned about these guys, I was left thinking to myself, "Now why the FUCK are the stories of these Black heroes not taught in elementary schools???!!" You know what that would do for a young Black impressionable mind? It is absolute madness that Black children go to school every day since Blacks have been allowed to have an education, but don't hear ANYTHING about these black patriots.

One will start to think if White society is going to keep OUR history out of THEIR schools, then why did we fight so hard to enroll in them? You (racist White society) should've kept fighting for segregation instead of letting MLK and LBJ beat you into submission if this is how you are going to "educate" us...but whatever, I digress.

If people in Massachusetts (the state of education) didn't hear shit or learn shit about any of these black heroes in their early academic journeys... then I think it's safe to say that folks from the Deep South and America's heartland didn't learn shit about them either.

This practice, obviously conceived and executed by White school administrators and textbook publishers, is both a spit and smack to the face of EVERY Black American who EVER lived (and died) without ever knowing who these historical Black figures were...

Also, it is a massive kick to the balls of EVERY Black American man AND an egregious pussy grab of EVERY Black American woman, who is a soldier, a Federal or State agent, and a public servant to, of, and for, this nation.

For 382 years, from 1635 to the present day, virtually every adult born and raised in the US—since the creation of the Boston Latin School (the first and oldest existing public school in the country)—has been CRIMINALLY miseducated... this gross and unchecked, perpetuated ignorance and lack to educate knows no color barrier, as it has touched us all.

Black...

Latino...

Arab...

Asian...

Native American...

Biracial...

Multiracial...

White...(yes, them too)

And whatever else.

I swear, on everything I know and love, if I was the Attorney General of the US and miseducation was a crime punishable by law, I'd go on a prosecution spree of ALL the public school boards and state departments of education until my fury was spent...

But that would probably take a while...

Because, as an educated Black man,

I can assure you...

I'm always angry.