E. B. Dubois's Impact On African Americans

After the Civil War, African Americans were freed from the bondage of slavery and released into society as human beings, something they were not seen as before. The racial tension following the abolition of slavery was very evident in the south and taken at different angles by different people. Freedmen now expect freedom and equality while the whites in the south, and even some of the government were not ready to see the African Americans as equal citizens. Because of the disagreement of the future of the citizenship of the Blacks, there was a huge racial divide throughout America that affected African Americans throughout the country. Following the Civil War, African Americans were given land in the south. Under General William Sherman’s field order 15, thousands of black families were given land and opportunity. This is where the saying “40 Acres and a mule” comes from, following the field order that gave 40 acres of abandoned land by former plantation holders to newly freed black families. The blacks expressed that all they wants was freedom, protection of this freedom, and to be left alone as equal citizens. The government had put in place laws and many people from the north came down to help liberate and …show more content…
One of the most famous abolitionists of African American discrimination was W. E. B. Dubois. Dubois was a northern black man, born in a predominantly white town. He argued that blacks needed to stand up and fight for what they want. In his essay “Souls of Black Folks”, he states “unless his striving be not simply seconded,. . .he cannot hope for great success. . . .”. He urges blacks to strive for what they want, fighting for their rights, and refusing to be compliant with the discrimination they are facing throughout the nation. Dubois argues that higher education, political power, and civil rights are necessary for a satisfying