A free mind is the first step in the pursuit of liberty, but African Americans have been hampered in that pursuit by both the Eurocentric dominant culture and by the lack of consensus among blacks on the nature and goals of black education. Conflicting trends in the history of black education include the following: (1) opposing Eurocentric and Afrocentric definitions of the goals of black education; (2) attempts by European Americans to obliterate the African spirit and control the African American mind; (3) beginnings of an African American alternative vision of black education that goes beyond the non-academic, Eurocentric model; and (4) renewed efforts by some educators to reassert the Eurocentric educational tradition while others attempt to expand the earlier search for an African frame of reference. European Americans must examine the diverse history and cultural traditions that comprise the multicultural American identity, and acknowledge the contribution of African culture to the curriculum at all levels of education. African Americans must study the role of African culture in contemporary life, and establish Afrocentric criteria for scientifically measuring and evaluating academic excellence. A list of references is included. (FMW)