Emancipation of The African Race
In one of the most celebrated book of the 20th century, W.E.B Du Bois in is his book ‘The Souls of a Black Folk’ writes that ‘The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color-line’ (Du Bois, 1903). It is from this book that the reader understands how slavery ravaged Africa and implanted its inhabitants in different parts of the American continent. The premise of the advent and the adverse effects of it to the African continent were based on the inferiority of the African person. Slavery laid the foundation for economic growth and global domination based on white superiority. Years of servitude and degradation of the African person resulted in both races having a lasting imprint of superiority or inferiority. …show more content…
Du Bois describe this primarily as the problem of the color line; the White seemed to have a perception that the attempts by the blacks to towards a liberalized and equal society were the problem. Bois uses a metaphor of a “veil” that means it’s as if the black person was born a “seventh son” (1903). The veil on the African American is psychological and a social boundary which separates him from the developed race.
Du Bois used several other metaphors to describe the African American man as the problem himself. Marco, Joseph, (1983) expands Du Bois’ metaphor of “double consciousness” as a situation where the African American man has dual consciousness, derived from him having American and an African identity. The dilemma in this context is of him having two souls and ideas which put him at the crossroads when faced with a question on who to pay patronage to. The history of the experience of the African American man is his struggle to have self-consciousness and find a true identity that can fit in the new …show more content…
Tension rose among black American black leaders in charting the way for the acquiring civil rights. The cross current political and economic dimensions in the United States brought unhealthy political dialogue among black American leadership. Du Bois himself was a social critic, and his book Souls of the Black Folk was enough evidence of this. He rejected the accommodationist policies supported by Washington, and vehemently organized protests against them. As a matter of fact, Du Bois dedicated the entire chapter three of his book to discuss about Of Mr. Book T. Washington and Others
Washington had proposed the short-term continuation of the Jim Crow policies and segregation. According to Raymond (2002), this incensed Du Bois who organized a convention of the blacks near Niagara Falls in Canada and rejected Washington’s apology. The convention among others challenged Washington advocating for vocational education but rather an extended one. To Du Bois, these gradualist policies of Mr. Washington were unacceptable and could not result in having the African American attaining economic progress and complete civil
In one of the most celebrated book of the 20th century, W.E.B Du Bois in is his book ‘The Souls of a Black Folk’ writes that ‘The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color-line’ (Du Bois, 1903). It is from this book that the reader understands how slavery ravaged Africa and implanted its inhabitants in different parts of the American continent. The premise of the advent and the adverse effects of it to the African continent were based on the inferiority of the African person. Slavery laid the foundation for economic growth and global domination based on white superiority. Years of servitude and degradation of the African person resulted in both races having a lasting imprint of superiority or inferiority. …show more content…
Du Bois describe this primarily as the problem of the color line; the White seemed to have a perception that the attempts by the blacks to towards a liberalized and equal society were the problem. Bois uses a metaphor of a “veil” that means it’s as if the black person was born a “seventh son” (1903). The veil on the African American is psychological and a social boundary which separates him from the developed race.
Du Bois used several other metaphors to describe the African American man as the problem himself. Marco, Joseph, (1983) expands Du Bois’ metaphor of “double consciousness” as a situation where the African American man has dual consciousness, derived from him having American and an African identity. The dilemma in this context is of him having two souls and ideas which put him at the crossroads when faced with a question on who to pay patronage to. The history of the experience of the African American man is his struggle to have self-consciousness and find a true identity that can fit in the new …show more content…
Tension rose among black American black leaders in charting the way for the acquiring civil rights. The cross current political and economic dimensions in the United States brought unhealthy political dialogue among black American leadership. Du Bois himself was a social critic, and his book Souls of the Black Folk was enough evidence of this. He rejected the accommodationist policies supported by Washington, and vehemently organized protests against them. As a matter of fact, Du Bois dedicated the entire chapter three of his book to discuss about Of Mr. Book T. Washington and Others
Washington had proposed the short-term continuation of the Jim Crow policies and segregation. According to Raymond (2002), this incensed Du Bois who organized a convention of the blacks near Niagara Falls in Canada and rejected Washington’s apology. The convention among others challenged Washington advocating for vocational education but rather an extended one. To Du Bois, these gradualist policies of Mr. Washington were unacceptable and could not result in having the African American attaining economic progress and complete civil