Joy Castro and W. E. B. DuBois use their autobiographical texts to discuss the obstacles that they have to overcome in order to receive a proper education, as well as consider the flaws present in the American education system. Both authors have similar struggles, as they are faced with hardships when attempting to pursue an education. However, W. E. B. DuBois’s essay On the Training of Black Men focuses mainly on the concept of race and how it connects with freed black men striving for an education. Joy Castro has a similar story in her essays Hungry and On Becoming Educated, but focuses on how being a woman has impacted her access to and the quality of her education. The two writers discuss how their difficult lives have impacted their ability …show more content…
E. B. DuBois’s and Joy Castro’s essays both mention the topic of overcoming obstacles to receive an education. W. E. B. DuBois’s essay focuses on how black men struggle to receive an education considering they were not viewed as human, solely because they were black. Instead, they were seen as “the sincere and passionate belief that somewhere between men and cattle, God created a tertium quid, and called it a Negro — a clownish, simple creature, at times even lovable within its limitations, but straitly foreordained to walk within the Veil” (DuBois 273). The idea that black men are seen as animals, not men, is one of the many obstacles to education that Dubois mentions. Their lack of humanity caused them to receive little respect from others and made it more difficult to become educated. Castro also faces obstacles with her education, as she grew up as a Latina Jehovah’s Witness. In her essay Hungry, she explains to the reader that “Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe that college is necessary, and my mother had always forbidden me to dream of it” (Castro 207). From a young age, Castro’s yearning for a college education was unsupported by most people in her life. This lack of support was due to the belief in her religion that as a woman, her purpose was to get
W.E.B. DuBois was an educator, writer, scholar, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, and later in his life a communist, whose life goal was to gain equal rights for all African Americans around the world. DuBois’ writings were mostly forgotten till the late 1960s, because of his involvement in communism and his absence during the civil rights movement in America. Even though his writings were temporarily forgotten because of his tarnished reputation, his legacy has since been restored allowing for his writings to be reprinted becoming a major influence for both academics and activists. DuBois’ accomplishments include his part in the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and his support for the civil rights movement advocating for equal social and economic rights for all African Americans. His accomplishments and efforts in order to gain equal treatment for African Americans outweigh his shortcomings and failures.
DuBois, W.E.B. The Autobiography of W.E.B. DuBois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life From the Last Decade of Its First Century. New York: International Publishers Co., Inc., 1968.
While growing up in the midst of a restrictive world, education becomes the rubicon between a guileless soul and adulthood. In the excerpt from W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois provides a roadmap for African Americans to discover and understand themselves through the pursuit of knowledge, self-awareness, and authenticity. The excerpt is a significant part of the essay because it also speaks for the modern day pursuit of knowledge, self-awareness, and authenticity, an indispensable path into finding one’s self.
To understand the viewpoint of W.E.B Dubois and his argument for having a well-educated African American population, his own background and life experience of the struggle to be African and American must be considered. DuBois is born in the north in Massachusetts where the so-called Negro problem paralyzing the
... using the works of the poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar, W.E.B. Dubois's ideas on self-help in dealing with racism; and the works of Anna Julia Cooper in dealing with the feminist perspective, Hubert H. Harrison, and Alice Dunbar-Harrison. There were those in the upper class who demeaned those in the lower classes, Gaines asserts, and some black males ignored the situation of women, just as suffragists ignored the situation of blacks. This process, however, needs more work and research in order to be fully acceptable. Upon reflection, the author does leave the reader with a much better understanding of the paradox within "uplift," however; it is my belief that before you receive this understanding, one must read the book, several times. However, what seems to be clear is blacks attempted to join a society that to a considerable extent sought to define it by excluding them.
The Influence of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois on the Writings from the Harlem Renaissance
Education was a key to a diverse and cultural society. DuBois is a well-respected intellectual. and leaders, working to reach goals of education and peaceful resolutions. between the races and classes. DuBois felt that the black leadership, of Booker T. Washington, was too.
W.E.B. DuBois attempted to tell African Americans what they should learn throughout schooling. He thought academics were of the utmost importance in order for African Americans to exist socially in society. Through academic schooling, he thought that 10 percent of the African American society would succeed and move on to become doctors, lawyers, politicians, etc.; they were called “the talented ten.” The subject material that would advance their learning would consist of the “trivium” and the “quadrivium.” The...
Racism is more than just blatant comments and police brutality. It is also found in the subtle things, like the lack of opportunities in education. Graduation by Maya Angelou and I Just Wanna Be Average by Mike Rose both address this issue of opportunities and race. In St. Louis, Missouri, Maya Angelou went to an all-black school during the 1930s and 40s, while Mike Rose is a second generation Italian immigrant in Los Angeles in the 1950s. Both wrote about their experiences with systemic racism in education. Both authors are given low expectations and have no power over their futures, which shows how systemic racism sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy of underachievement.
Just because the color of one’s race should not exemplify disgrace .W.E.B Dubois was born on february 23,1868 in Great Barrington,Massachusetts.1885 Dubois moved to Nashville tennessee and Attended Fisk University .Dubois encountered the Jim Crow laws.That was the 1st time he experienced racism against African Americans,That made him Want to study the troubles of African Americans. 1895 Dubois became the 1st African American to earn a p.h.d degree from Harvard University. 1905 Dubois was a founder and general secretary of the Niagara movement an African American protest group of scholars and professionals.1945 Dubois wrote the famous”An appeal to the world “ He
After slavery ended, many hoped for a changed America. However, this was not so easy, as slavery left an undeniable mark on the country. One problem ended, but new problems arose as blacks and whites put up “color lines” which led to interior identity struggles. These struggles perpetuated inequality further and led W. E. B. Du Bois to believe that the only way to lift “the Veil” would be through continuing to fight not only for freedom, but for liberty - for all. Others offered different proposals on societal race roles, but all recognized that “double consciousness” of both the individual and the nation was a problem that desperately needed to be solved.
The Harlem Renaissance influenced black African American writers tremendously. Not only did it show that they were capable of achieving great things, the Harlem Renaissance has shaped and created many pathways for people to be able to achieve something that may not have been achieved at the time.
As an African American male, I experienced inequality, and judgment from individuals that have no idea what kind of person I truly am. As a youth, I received a lackluster education, which has resulted in me underachieving in a number of my college classes. It has come to my attention that other colored students are currently experiencing and receiving the same inadequate learning environment and educatio...
The myth that “all men are equal” has created false hopes for the people of color, who continually seek opportunities to excel, that just aren’t there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambitions are key contributors to one’s success. Even if they do possess ambition and intelligence, the dominant majority of the white population oppresses them. This type of oppression points out that new methods of struggle are needed, such as whose employed by Martin Luther King, Jr., Franz Fanon and W.E.B. Du Bois.
These two men were both dedicated to solving the difficult problems African Americans experienced in the post-reconstruction South. Both DuBois and Washington wanted economic prosperity for African Americans, but they differed on what would be done to achieve this. Both men focused on education as a key to the improvement of black lives, but they differed on the form education should take. The true difference in these men’s extremely different routes to better the lives of African Americans after reconstruction is a product of their extremely different backgrounds. In this essay I will examine the documents, “1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech” by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois’, “The Souls of Black Folks” in order to determine the paths that each of these men took towards the advancement of African Americans, and the reasons behind these methods.