According to Chinweizu, the typical post-independence African intellectual suffers from a dangerous form of "miseducation." This education taught them to view their own history as a barbaric prelude to civilization (European arrival), their languages as inferior, and their spiritual systems as superstition. Consequently, the African mind operates on two dysfunctional levels:

Chinweizu advocates for a decolonization of the African mind through:

Chinweizu sees literature as a key tool in the process of decolonizing the African mind. He argues that African literature, in particular, has the power to challenge colonial narratives and promote a more nuanced understanding of African experiences and cultures. Through a critical analysis of African literature, Chinweizu seeks to promote a greater awareness of African identity and culture, as well as to challenge the dominant Eurocentric perspectives that have shaped African literature and education.