According to Khlevnyuk (2016, p.215), Aldon Morris is one of the best scholars in sociology and civil rights. In 2015, he published a book titled: The Scholar Denied: W. E. B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology. The book has won many awards including an award from the Association of American Publishers. It discusses the role played by Du Bois in American Sociology, including his predictions about the race controversy of the 20th century. A critical review of the text reveals the main themes of the book, the aims, and objectives, the significance, strengths, weaknesses, and how it relates to sociological theory in general.
In his book, The Scholar Denied: W. E. B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology (2015), Aldon D. Morris delves
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into the history of sociology and aims to expose the factors that marginalized Du Bois. He does this by acknowledging W. E. B. Du Bois as the founder of sociology. However, by so doing, he has challenged the common discourse surround sociology’s development. Particularly, the book discredits the work of Robert E. Park, who worked in conjunction with Booker T. Washington (a black movement leader) to conceal the work of Du Bois and keep him out of the spotlight. To begin, Morris debunks the common narrative that scientific sociology was founded by a black professor from a University in the South (p. 1). He points out the role of race in the development of American sociology by explaining that mainstream academia's belief that sociology was founded in the University of Chicago is not true. He gives an opposing view describing how Du Bois developed the first school of sociology at Atlanta University early in the 20th century (p. 3). Bypassing the external social conditions of race and white supremacy, Du Bois built sociology based on empirical research. However, Du Bois’ scholarship was suppressed by white sociologists since accepting his theories would mean that their claim of biological and cultural superiority was incorrect. In chapter one, Morris (2015) identified major accomplishments that keep Du Bois at the center of scientific sociology, and at the same time shows how he was excluded from institutional rewards and resources simply due to the color of his skin (p. 7). However, the book depicts Du Bois as a person who overcomes his hardships to develop an independent school of thought. The second chapter discusses the education and experience of Du Bois to help in understanding the foundation of his sociological theories. For instance, Morris notes that "while attending Fisk, Du Bois immersed himself in a liberal arts curriculum, which also included classes on Germany, where he studied that country's history and language." (p. 16). Here, the book shows that the exchange program helped Du Bois to learn about the culture and social life of Germans. This exposure must have influenced him to study further, attending Harvard as an undergraduate, and graduating with a Ph.D. in 1895. Chapter three explains how Du Bois established the Atlanta School of Sociology after carrying out a research on The Philadelphia Negro and African American Institutions using a comparative approach. It is then that he started a scholarship program and a school of Psychology at Atlanta University, which was historically a black institution. Moreover, he developed a laboratory for social research to serve as a conference center where political debates were held every winter on matters concerning African-American urban life (Morris, 2015, p. 57). The next four chapters explain the specific contributions of Du Bois to the sociology of African Americans, the discrediting of Washington and Park by comparing their work with that of DuBois, and the interactions between Du Bois and Max Weber.
Chapter four talks about the differing views between Du Bois and Washington regarding African American advancement. Though a black man himself, Washington valued practices which ultimately kept African Americans oppressed, whereas Du Bois valued equality. Chapter five details the way in which Park contributed to the concealment of Du Bois’ importance and distinguishes that the reason for this power stems from Park’s racial privilege. In chapters six and seven, Morris explores the relationship between Du Bois and Weber. He shows how Weber took Du Bois seriously and was influenced by him. Morris exemplifies this by telling how Weber requested several publications, such as the one addressing race-to-caste relationships. Requesting these publications reflects Weber’s true feelings; that he trusts and respects Du Bois as a serious sociologist. Their collaboration is an example of a counterhegemonic intellectual network, which Morris explains to be a result of systematic racial exclusion and failure to be recognized (Morris, 2015, p. 187). In the concluding chapter 8, Morris makes his own contribution to sociology by creating a way in which scholars could critically analyze the concepts, evaluations, and contributions of intellectuals, especially those marginalized, to ensure they are not erased from
history. The text is significant in explaining the early history of sociology to bring into light the secrets that surround the founding of sociology in the United States. This book is useful in explaining how race and prejudice influenced the development of social sciences in the twentieth century and the effect of Social Darwinism, as well as other biological reasonings, to explain race differences in erasing important contributors such as Du Bois. Also, the book brings to light the role of politics by exposing the tensions between Washington and Du Bois. For instance, chapter four discusses how Washington and Park campaigned against Du Bois, effectively discrediting him in academia. Furthermore, Morris points out that academic racism, which existed in his time, prevented him from getting the recognition he deserved, and that he was unjustly denied his rightful position in the field. The book has many strengths that make many readers fascinated and informed. First, it gives an overview of the founding fathers of sociology and explains on the ideological and race struggles of the time. The book brings to light the white supremacy ideology of the twentieth century and how it affected the development of sociological sciences. Secondly, the book contributes to knowledge of sociology by unearthing historical prejudice and race wars. Reading through the book one gains useful insights into racial science, especially on how black scholars were not given their rightful roles in society. By giving special attention to Du Bois' work, and The Philadelphia Negro, Morris exposes racial inequality in the sociological field. He writes, ‘‘Because of stiff white resistance to black aspirations, Du Bois, at the beginning of the twentieth century, concluded that the major unasked question of whites regarding blacks was: How does it feel to be a problem?’’ (Morris, 2015, p. 7). Although the book has many strengths there are also several weaknesses within it. Mainly, it only focused on African-American’s being the only race acknowledged; it has neglected the plight of other races or marginalized groups. Inclusion would further validify the underlying issue that marginalized groups are underrepresented and that intersectionality plays a major role in the treatment and advancement of those it affects. Furthermore, Morris discredits all the work done by Washington and glorifies all the work done by Du Bois. This view is misleading since other scholars have found errors in Du Bois’ theories including his view that the suggestion of 10% whites and 90% blacks approving of black talented individuals as a class argument (Khlevnyuk, 2016, p. 218). Morris fails to highlight the contributions of Park and Washington and only chooses to talk about their role in undermining Du Bois. Personally, I feel that Du Bois does deserve credit as the founding father of sociology, yet has been continuously denied this in history. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva exemplifies this assessment in What We Were, What We Are, and What We Should Be: The Racial Problem of American Sociology (2017), in which he mentions the sad facts of how Du Bois’ books are never assigned by white sociologists to their class, and how although the University of Pennsylvania funded Du Bois’ The Philadelphia Negro, the school would not offer him office space or a position on campus. Owing to his contributions to the field of sociology and his works on Black Reconstruction in America, The Souls of Black Folk and the Crisis, Du Bois has a place in sociology and thus should be respected all the same. The book also serves to support Critical Race Theory, which has been described as “a collection of activists and scholars interested in studying and transforming the relationships among race, racism, and power” (Crabtree, 2018). Analyzing Morris’ work in terms of Critical Race Theory has given me useful insights into the rise of scientific sociology, the effect of racism in academia, and Du Bois’ role in it all.
In 1955, C. Vann Woodward published the first edition of his book, The Strange Career of Jim Crow. The book garnered immediate recognition and success with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eventually calling it, “the historical Bible of the civil rights movement.” An endorsement like this one from such a prominent and respect figure in American history makes one wonder if they will find anything in the book to criticize or any faults to point out. However, with two subsequent editions of the book, one in August 1965 and another in October 1973—each adding new chapters as the Civil Rights movement progressed—one wonders if Dr. King’s assessment still holds up, if indeed The Strange Career of Jim Crow is still the historical bible of the civil rights movement. In addition, one questions the objectivity of the book considering that it gained endorsements from figures who were promoting a cause and because Woodward had also promoted that same cause.
When it all comes down to it, one of the greatest intellectual battles U.S. history was the legendary disagreement between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. This intellectual debate sparked the interest of the Northerners as well as the racist whites that occupied the south. This debate was simply about how the blacks, who just gained freedom from slavery, should exist in America with the white majority. Even though Washington and DuBois stood on opposite sides of the fence they both agreed on one thing, that it was a time for a change in the treatment of African Americans. I chose his topic to write about because I strongly agree with both of the men’s ideas but there is some things about their views that I don’t agree with. Their ideas and views are the things that will be addressed in this essay.
W.E.B. Du Bois is a world-renowned American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, and author whose life goal was to educate African Americans and whites about the realities of race by posing and answering the question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” On the other hand, William Faulkner is an American writer whose specialty in Southern and American literature won him a Nobel Prize laureate from Oxford. Faulkner’s Southern literature illustrated the difficulties of being behind a societal veil, with special attention to gender and racial issues. Both of these authors have attempted to tackle the difficult questions regarding race and addressed some ties between race and economics. Du Bois focuses on the black narrative and Faulkner
Du Bois wanted civil rights as well, but in contrast, he believe the only way to get it was through political action and demanding for equal rights. He also believed education would get the black race somewhere. “The South believed an educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro. And the South was not wholly wrong; for education among all kinds of men always has had, and always will have, an element of danger and revolution, of dissatisfaction and discontent. Nevertheless, men strive to know” (Du Bois Page) as W.E.B. Du Bois said. This quote explains how Du Bois felt about education, he thought education would put him at the top because the whites would fear the knowledge of educated African Americans. His main focus when writing was racial discrimination and the advancement of black people. His work was very broad and he combines history with proposals on how to change, like in this work “The Souls of Black Folks.” This is just a collection of autobiographies on the African American life. He mentions things like the “talented tenth” in The Negro Problem, which describes one out of ten blacks becoming leaders. He also coined several terms, including the “veil.” He says “the Negro is like the seventh son, born with a veil” (Du Bois 887). Du Bois believed a veil was being placed over African Americans so that they are not seen as they are. They are true Americans, but whites do not see that and blacks start to lose sight of that. Another important term,
When talking about the history of African-Americans at the turn of the twentieth century, two notable names cannot be left out; Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois. They were both African-American leaders in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, fighting for social justice, education and civil rights for slaves, and both stressed education. This was a time when blacks were segregated and discriminated against. Both these men had a vision to free blacks from this oppression. While they came from different backgrounds, Washington coming from a plantation in Virginia where he was a slave, and Du Bois coming from a free home in Massachusetts, they both experienced the heavy oppression blacks were under in this Post-Civil War society. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois were both pioneers in striving to obtain equality for blacks, yet their ways of achieving this equality were completely different. W.E.B Du Bois is the more celebrated figure today since he had the better method because it didn’t give the whites any power, and his method was intended to achieve a more noble goal than Washington’s.
From slavery being legal, to its abolishment and the Civil Rights Movement, to where we are now in today’s integrated society, it would seem only obvious that this country has made big steps in the adoption of African Americans into American society. However, writers W.E.B. Du Bois and James Baldwin who have lived and documented in between this timeline of events bringing different perspectives to the surface. Du Bois first introduced an idea that Baldwin would later expand, but both authors’ works provide insight to the underlying problem: even though the law has made African Americans equal, the people still have not.
Du Bois was a scholar activist who proposed lots of solutions for the issue of racism and discrimination. Du Bois was sort of an opposition to Washington’s ideology, as he strongly believes that it can only help to disseminate white’s oppression towards blacks. We can see his dissatisfaction based on his writing with a title On Booker T. Washington and Others. He wrote that Washington’s philosophy was really not a good idea because the white extremists from the south will perceived this idea as blacks’ complete surrender for the request of civil rights and political equality. Du Bois had a different view on this issue if compared to Washington because of their different early lifestyles. Unlike Washington, Du Bois was born free in the North and he did not receive any harsh experienced as a slave himself and was also grew up in a predominantly white area. In his writings, it is obvious that he thought that the most important thing that the black should gain was to have the equality with whites. Regarding the issue of the voting rights, Du Bois strongly believed that it is important for black people to agitate to get the right to vote. He also believed that the disfranchisement of poor men could mean the catastrophe of South’s democracy (Painter 157). In his writing with a title Of Our Spiritual Strivings, he wrote that it was significant for blacks to exercise the right to vote because there were whites that wanted to put them back in their inferior position—and it was
The beginning of the early twentieth century saw the rise of two important men into the realm of black pride and the start of what would later become the movement towards civil rights. Both Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois influenced these two aforementioned movements, but the question is, to what extent?
Throughout his essay, Du Bois challenged Booker T. Washington’s policy of racial accommodation and gradualism. In this article Du Bois discusses many issues he believes he sees
Lewis’s viewpoint is not without it’s truths. The Harlem renaissance was overseen by a number of intellectuals such as Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and W.E.B. Dubois. Booker T. Washington‘s, a highly influential speaker of the age, words appealed to both Caucasians and African-Americans. Washington forged an interracial bridge of communication through his unique tactics in the quest for equality. He believed in more subtle ways of gaining equality through hard work, cunning, and humility. He stated, “The wisest among my race understands that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing.”(Salley, 15) With this statement, Washington himself denies that this new awakening in equality and arts could be forced,...
In the early 1900’s societies were strictly defined. Members within society regulated rules in regards to gender, social class, racial groups, and education. Socializing and integrating with members of the society outside of your prescribed gender, social, and racial roles were not accepted in historical time periods. Members of society were expected to follow these roles and those whom deviated from them were punished, isolated, or frowned upon. During the early 1900’s author’s Charlotte Perkins Gilman and W.E.B. Du Bois wrote pieces which went against societal standards. Their literature pieces addressed issues in which were progressive issues of their time. However, both their pieces of work have reflected major social
Du Bois, W.E.B. "Chapter 1: Of Our Spiritual Strivings." The Souls of Black Folk. New York: New American Library, 1969. 1-3. Print.
In Du Bois' "Forethought" to his essay collection, The Souls of Black Folk, he entreats the reader to receive his book in an attempt to understand the world of African Americans—in effect the "souls of black folk." Implicit in this appeal is the assumption that the author is capable of representing an entire "people." This presumption comes out of Du Bois' own dual nature as a black man who has lived in the South for a time, yet who is Harvard-educated and cultured in Europe. Du Bois illustrates the duality or "two-ness," which is the function of his central metaphor, the "veil" that hangs between white America and black; as an African American, he is by definition a participant in two worlds. The form of the text makes evident the author's duality: Du Bois shuttles between voices and media to express this quality of being divided, both for himself as an individual, and for his "people" as a whole. In relaying the story of African-American people, he relies on his own experience and voice and in so doing creates the narrative. Hence the work is as much the story of his soul as it is about the souls of all black folk. Du Bois epitomizes the inseparability of the personal and the political; through the text of The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois straddles two worlds and narrates his own experience.
Contemporary sociology grows from work of the past, this is no different in the manner that Patricia Hill Collins builds off W.E.B Du Bois understanding of double consciousness. In her essay, “Learning from the Insider Within: The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought”, Patricia Hill Collins analyses Black feminist thought through a discourse following three distinct themes that allow for Black Women within the field of sociology an unique perspective outside the boundaries. Collins diverges into the topic by breaking down the historical example of “outsider within” which provides black women a distinct point of critical lens that is beneficial. Following, Collins “[examines] the sociological significance of the Black feminist
Baldwin and his ancestors share this common rage because of the reflections their culture has had on the rest of society, a society consisting of white men who have thrived on using false impressions as a weapon throughout American history. Baldwin gives credit to the fact that no one can be held responsible for what history has unfolded, but he remains restless for an explanation about the perception of his ancestors as people. In Baldwin?s essay, his rage becomes more directed as the ?power of the white man? becomes relevant to the misfortune of the American Negro (Baldwin 131). This misfortune creates a fire of rage within Baldwin and the American Negro. As Baldwin?s American Negro continues to build the fire, the white man builds an invisible wall around himself to avoid confrontation about the actions of his ?forefathers? (Baldwin 131). Baldwin?s anger burns through his other emotions as he writes about the enslavement of his ancestors and gives the reader a shameful illusion of a Negro slave having to explai...