...George Coritsidis History 210/AAS 290 Professor Spivey The Souls of Black Folk Analysis II The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois is a powerful literary piece that expresses what consequences hatred and segregation can have on the black population living in the south. Du Bois makes it clear what profuse determination and inner power black people must have in order to overcome and resist the “Veil” of oppression. This Veil contributes greatly to Du Bois sense of resentment towards white society and the strong schism that exists between white and black lives in America. The power of education is a prevalent theme and message to fellow blacks throughout The Souls of Black Folk. Over time the “Negro ideal” shifts from simply desiring freedom, to a political demand for voting equality with the 15th amendment, and ultimately graduating to the push for education. “Slowly but steadily, in the following years, a new vision began gradually to replace the dream of political power, ---a powerful movement, the rise of another ideal to guide the unguided…it was the ideal of book learning.” In Du Bois’ mind, blacks educating themselves is an absolute necessity if they wished complete with the oppressive white society on an intellectual level. Education and book learning to him is far more important and effective even the Emancipation law itself. Education would help black ultimate lift “the Veil” of oppression. Blacks for Du Bois should not be taught merely to earn money and simply...
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...The Souls of Black Folk Chapter Summaries I In this chapter Du Bois talks about the struggle that blacks have to go through during this period of time. He talks about what blacks should be able to have the right to do and that they should be treated as equals. Du Bois also uses the term “Veil” a lot, this means that whites don’t see them as who they really are but instead judge them from a vague point of view. He goes over the fact that carpetbaggers were going to the South to look for personal gain. The 15th amendment was also passed and seen as a step forward and Du Bois could see many more accomplishments in the near future. II Du Bois begins this chapter by saying that the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line. Basically this line separates African Americans from lighter skinned Americans and he points out that this was the issue that ignited the Civil War. He also talks about the Freedman's Bureau a lot. He reveals the beginning of the Freemen’s Bureau to being various attempts to manage fugitive slaves during the war. The Freedmen’s Bureau was passed by Congress in March, 1865 and originally was intended to support former slaves and manage abandoned lands for the period of the Civil War which ended shortly after. III In this chapter DuBois pays tribute to what Booker T. Washington accomplished. He also talks about all the people who disagree with Washington’s theories and concludes that they criticize Washington because they are envious...
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...The Souls of Black Folk – Chapter 13: Of the Coming of John James 2:1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? James 5:7-8 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. He came to us from Altamaha, away down there beneath the gnarled oaks of Southeastern Georgia, where the sea croons to the sands and the sands listen till they sink half drowned beneath the waters, rising only here and there in long, low islands. The white folk of Altamaha voted John a good boy,—fine plough-hand, good in the...
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...“Up from Slavery” provides a great depiction of his experience with slavery and he also expresses his views on education and ways to enhance the citizenship of blacks in society. W.E.B Dubois’ Souls of Black Folk exemplifies the contradictions of the South during that time and he also criticizes Booker T. Washington’s views on racial uplifting and education concept. Now the question stands as follows: Was W.E.B Dubois’ criticism towards Washington unfair or accurate? Well, Dubois’ criticisms towards Washington was both accurate and unfair, but mostly accurate. Up From Slavery depicts Booker T. Washington as both an accommodationist and a realist whom tries to strategize ways for blacks to make it out the struggle even though race relations were at its lowest point at the time. The autobiography also describes in detail his gradual and steady rise from a slave child during the Civil War, to the trials and tribulations he had to conquer to attain an education at the new Hampton University, to his work establishing vocational schools such as the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, and to helping black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up out of the gutter. Washington was certainly a major figure in his time due to the fact that ideas for black civil rights was in need of a more driven approach. Most critiques of him mainly talk about his accommodationism, but his life outside of being an abolitionist...
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................................................ 2 2. Contributing areas that lead to W.E.B. Du Bois´s “Double Consciousness”.................... 4 2.1 Race, Stereotypes and Prejudices ................................................................................ 4 2.2 Double Consciousness, the Veil and the Color-Line ................................................... 7 2.3 Du Bois´s change in use of “Double Consciousness” ................................................. 9 3. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 10 1. Introduction W.E.B. Du Bois divides the world´s population into three groups; he distinguishes the white race, the black race and the yellow race as the bigger “families of human beings” 1 . According to Du Bois, these races cannot be solely distinguished by their scientifically proven deviances, as those incongruences do not influence the inner cohesion and the lasting duration of each racial group. Furthermore, he appoints every race a unique role which contributes to the welfare of the world. Therefore, he urges the ‘Negros’ to cut the bonds of suppression from the whites and deliver their message rightfully. 2 He argues in congruence with the majority of scientists and anthropologists, who support the argument that the various settlements all over the world have shaped the inhabiting people according to the conditions of their environment. This common history...
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...community, depending on whom you agree with. Though, these two were considered leaders they had a large disagreement for which we like to call the “great debate” for the lack of better words. This debate between the two men were over strategies for blacks as it related to social and economic progress. Many have heard that there are two ways to skin a cat. This will describe Washington’s approach to achieving the better life for blacks and W.E.B. Du Bois as well. I think they wanted similar things for African Americans, they just went about it in two different ways. In order to truly understand them we must examine the differences of the two men, as I believe the ways for which we live, what we have experienced, and how we grow up does affect our decisions, thought process, and over all beliefs and goals....
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...Assignment 2: Harlem Renaissance Poets Demetria Davenport HUM 112 Dr. Jeff Kersh Countee Cullen (1903-1996) “Heritage” (1925) What is Africa to me: Copper sun or scarlet sea, Jungle star or jungle track, Strong bronzed men, or regal black Women from whose loins I sprang When the birds of Eden sang? One three centuries removed From the scenes his fathers loved, Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, What is Africa to me? So I lie, who all day long Want no sound except the song Sung by wild barbaric birds Goading massive jungle herds, Juggernauts of flesh that pass Trampling tall defiant grass Where young forest lovers lie, Plighting troth beneath the sky, So I lie, who always hear, Though I cram against my ear Both my thumbs, and keep them there, Great drums throbbing through the air, So I lie, whose fount of pride, Dear distress and joy allied, Is my somber flesh and skin, With the dark blood dammed within Like great pulsing tides of wine That, I fear, must burst the fine Channels of the chafing net Where they surge and form and fret. Africa? A book one thumbs Listlessly, till slumber comes, Unremembered are the bats Circling through the night, her cats Crouching in the river reeds, Stalking gentle flesh that feeds, By the river brink; no more Does the bugle throated roar Cry that monarch claws have leapt From the scabbards where they slept, Silver snakes that once a year Doff the lovely coats you wear, Seek no covert in your fear Lest...
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...Double Conciseness America was built on the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Deceleration of Independence US 1776) However, this right has been denied to African Americans throughout history because of the color of their skin. Black people were looked at harshly in society because of their race. W.E.B. DuBois was considered one of the most famous and influential civil rights activists during the twentieth century. DuBois was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He contributed to African American literature with his literary works. Through his literature, he coined the term “double consciousness.” Double consciousness was first explored in DuBois’ book, The Souls of the Black Folks. “Double...
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...Renaissance era. In the social roots of the Harlem Renaissance can be tracked back to the Great Migration during the First World War, the philosophical roots reach back to the turn of the century and the work of black historian and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), whose The Philadelphia Negro (1899) was the first sociological text on a black community published in the United States. In 1903, in his book The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois had proposed that the identity of African Americans was fraught with ambiguity. (Sayre, 2012, pg. 1174) When in 1909 the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded to advance the rights of black, Du Bois became editor of its magazine, The Crisis. Du Bois sense of the double-consciousness informing African American experience (a double-consciousness that informs the very term “African American”) was often expressed in the magazine’s pages. In this role he wielded an unequaled influence among middle-class black and progressive whites as the propagandist for the black protest from 1910 until 1934. (Rudwick, 2013) He resigned from the editorship of The Crisis and the NAACP in 1934, yielding his influence as a race leader and charging that the organizations was dedicated to the interests of the black bourgeoisie and ignored the problem of the masses. Du Bois’s interest in cooperatives was a part of his nationalism that developed out of his Marxist leanings. At the turn of the century, he had...
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...leading black theorists and a major factor of equal rights for blacks in the United States. At a time when many black Americans sought to improve their status by adapting to the ideals of white society and tolerating discrimination and segregation, W.E.B. Du Bois was a constant proponent of unconditional equal and civil rights for all blacks. As a social scientist, he was also a pioneer in documenting historical and social truths about blacks in the United States . W.E.B. Du Bois introduce the idea of double consciousness, an ideology that defines African Americans seeking to reconcile two different cultures that create their modern identity. Although Du Bois spoke of double consciousness in early twentieth century, the problem continues to affect many African Americans today. This research will give analyze the biography, race theory and conflicts of W.E.B. Du Bois. W. E. B. Du Bois 1868–1963 “Social Scientist, Political Activist, Author, Editor, and Educator” From the late 1890s through the 1940s, W. E. B. Du Bois was one of the leading black theorists and a major factor of equal rights for blacks in the United States. At a time when many black Americans sought to improve their status by adapting to the ideals of white society and tolerating discrimination and segregation, W.E.B. Du Bois was a constant proponent of unconditional equal and civil rights for all blacks. As a social scientist, he was also a pioneer in documenting historical and social truths about blacks in the...
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...that blacks did not have the same rights and privileges to use public areas as whites did. The main idea behind the Jim Crow laws was "separate but equal". It was a legal way to continue the discrimination against the African Americans in the southern states. (The rise and fall of Jim crow2010) You can say that the effect of these laws developed two different societies in the US. The African Americans were deprived from the same conditions and other governmental services the white people received. It turned out that the races were separated in many aspects: education, welfare, health, culture etc. They even deprived them of some civil rights they own being citizens like voting. Until 1964 these laws were governed and you can say helped maintain the gap between the races(Cope 2010). Booker T Washington believed that equality could be achieved through vocational education. Basically what he believed was the blacks would be accepted by the whites if they showed them they could be as literate and socially acceptable as they were. Instead of forcing and protesting for equal rights he urged blacks to focus on education and their farming and work ethics. ("Booker T Washington", 2012) WEB Dubois believed in full political, civil and social rights for African Americans in 1903, Du Bois published The Souls of Black Folk. The Souls of Black Folk is Du Bois's best-known book. It has also been one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. In The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois...
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...Problems 160). This was somewhat an unusual stance to take at this time, because the south was segregated. On top of this much of the black community was irritated from this statement, because of the violence the white enforced on the black community. Further on in his speech he also declared another unparticular method for a black leader. He issues the belief that “no race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as writing a poem” (Tuck 103). This seemed outrageous to many, because it appeared as if he was disrespecting his own race. Contextually he was saying to prosper, blacks must work under whites first, before going on to jobs of their own. This idea of working up the totem pole seemed eerie to must blacks, because instead of participating in practices of glory, they would be forced to do hard work that no one else wanted once again. And while many blacks might have felt this way, Washington tells the mostly white crowd, to trust the blacks for they have the, “devotion that no foreigner can match” (Tuck 103). As it states in Tuck after the speech most of the crowd was delirious; whites were happy, and blacks were confused. At the same time Washington thought it was practical for good reason. At this time the majority of blacks were rarely able to find land to farm, and as time passed more and more blacks were running into debt (Tuck 106). So he believed suck it up, and take the dirty jobs. If you have...
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...Anthony Jackson Of the Sorrow Songs W.E.B DuBois Black American Studies Term Paper Professor Serrano African American slaves were faced with not only physical, but emotional hardships such as family tragedies, heart aches and trauma. There were numerous amounts of struggles that forced them into needing a loop-hole, or getaway for the mind. This led to the tradition of singing the famous “Sorrow Songs”. All of the unfortunate injustices they were put through were resolved by a new tradition: singing sorrow songs. W.E.B DuBois’s text, “The Souls of Black Folks” talks about the songs, which all originated in the south, that African American slaves sang and then passed down from generation to generation to get them through all of the hardships and pain through the years. Each song represented a different feeling the slaves had while working, but each one also portrayed hope. Du Bois states that the Negro Folk Song “stands as the most beautiful expression of human experience.” These songs were taught and passed down through African American grade schools where the African American kids would teach the teachers the songs, while the teachers would show them how to sing. The teachers would learn the songs and then teach other African American children who then taught other people and so on. This is how the songs were kept alive as a tradition. In most cases, the songs were misunderstood by bystanders and people of other ethnicities and cultures who could not...
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...AND LANGSTON HUGHES Abstract: The aim of this text is to analyze two completely different poets (Phillis Wheatley and Langston Hughes) who lived in several times, however who shared constant theme in the analyzed works. Our intention is to indicate how society has not developed when it concerns the position of negroes: either as voters or persons. Through two selected poems and their analyses, it's supposed to indicate how the tones may change, however the theme remains the same. 1. Introduction Many things may inspire somebody to write down – be it poetry or prose. it has been like this since communication established itself, through generations and throughout time the writings have had a very important role. for some folks writing is also solely how to establish communication, as newspapers and magazines. For some others, it's an inner pleasure to share feelings and concepts, like in journals and theories. However, for others it is an instrument for additional definite purposes, like awareness regarding movements or a personal catharsis – Sylvia Plath’s poetry, for example. Therefore, the power of words helped mankind to change the globe. Bearing in mind this concept that literature may renew and reinforce a belief or an idea, the theme of the analysis supposed in this work comparing Phillis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought From Africa To America” to Langston Hughes’ “I, Too, Sing America” is somewhat known and reassure aspects that are still...
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...For this week’s discussion, it is referring to the speech that came to be known as the Atlanta compromise speech, which was held in 1895. The two men that were involved in their speech are Brooker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois. Washington was giving the Atlanta compromise speech while W.F.B. Dubois was giving the Souls of the Black Folk excerpts speech against Washington. Brooker T. Washington’s main idea and purpose is to make the African Americans and the whites to get along and be able to work together. He was also assuring the African Americans that whoever “depend on bettering their conditions in a foreign land or who underestimates the importance of cultivation friendly relations with the southern white man,” he must be able to make...
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