W.E.B. DuBois: Hall of Fame
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.
William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) DuBois was born February 23, 1863 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a town with about 5000 inhabitants with only fifty African Americans. In his youth, Dubois did some newspaper reporting for his small town. Dubois graduated valedictorian from his high school. Following high school, DuBois attended Fisk University, a black liberal college in Nashville. After two years at Fisk University, DuBois transferred to Harvard his junior year. In 1890, he gradated cum laude from Harvard and was one of the six graduation speakers. He continued his education by pursuing graduate studies at the University of Berlin in history and economics. DuBois received his master of arts in 1891 and in 1895 received his doctorate in h...
... middle of paper ...
...upport of black nationalism and communism towards the end of his life. He is recognized as one of the most influential African American scholars of the 20th century paving the way for advocates of civil rights.
Works Cited
Dreier, Peter. "Remembing W.E.B. Du Bois: A Towering Figure Who Died 50 Years Ago." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 01 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
Rudwick, Elliott. "W. E. B. Du Bois (American Sociologist and Social Reformer)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Alridge, Derrick P. The Educational Thought of W.E.B. Du Bois: An Intellectual History. New York: Teachers College, 2008. Print.
B., Du Bois W. E., and Eugene F. Provenzo. Du Bois on Education. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. Print.
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.
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
He did not experience the harsh conditions of slavery. Dubois was raised in a majority white community, and at Harvard University became the first African American to attain a doctorate degree. Like Washington, Dubois agreed that “blacks” needed to become economically independent and find civil equality. However, W.E.B Dubois was offended at racial injustice and inequality. Du Bois understood Washington’s program, but believed this wasn’t the solution Unlike Washington, he demanded that African Americans should immediately have the right to vote, equal rights, and be granted more equal educational opportunities to. WEB Dubois wanted educational reform in a way that fulfilled requirements for African American students. WEB Du Bois declared African American demands through his “Declaration of the Principles of the Niagara Movement,” in which he demanded social equality. This movement led to the creation of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The leaders of NAACP often criticized Washington. WEB Dubois opposed Washington’s methods regarding black discrimination. Washington believed the only way to end racial segregation against blacks in the long run was to gain support and cooperation with Whites. Dubois wanted full equality
Two of the most influential people in shaping the social and political agenda of African Americans were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, both early twentieth century writers. While many of their goals were the same, the two men approached the problems facing African Americans in very different ways. This page is designed to show how these two distinct thinkers and writers shaped one movement, as well as political debate for years afterward.
B., Du Bois W. E. The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1979. University of Virginia Library. 4 Oct. 2008. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. 37.
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.
During the late 19th and early 20th century, racial injustice was very prominent and even wildly accepted in the South. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were two of the most renowned “pioneers in the [search] for African-American equality in America” (Washington, DuBois, and the Black Future). Washington was “born a slave” who highly believed in the concept of “separate but equal,” meaning that “we can be as [distant] as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (Washington 1042). DuBois was a victim of many “racial problems before his years as a student” and disagreed with Washington’s point of view, which led
In his book, The Scholar Denied: W. E. B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology (2015), Aldon D. Morris delves
W.E.B. DuBois was born on the twenty-third of February in 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Great Barrington, Massachusetts was a free man town, in this African- Americans were given opportunities to own land and to live a better life. He attended Fisk University in Nashville Tennessee from 1885 to 1888. While attending this college this was the first time DuBois has ever been to the south and had to encounter segregation. After graduating from F...
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
However, because of the dominant, male white culture, this very learned man and his ideas have been neglected. Even to this day, people know of him as an individual who studied marginalized black societies and an activist fighting for justice on behalf of these minorities. However, society fails to recognize the enormous contributions he made to the practices of sociology. Furthermore, in the rare times Du Bois is mentioned as a sociologist, he is mentioned as a “black sociologist” rather than just simply a sociologist (Green 528). By putting a race description in Du Bois’s title, one is simply saying that he was different from all the rest of the sociologists at the time because of his skin color. The research Du Bois and other black sociologists did focused on racial discrimination, inequality and black lives. However, their work was mostly ignored because it was the study of blacks studying black lives, which was unpopular at the time. Although Du Bois was a well educated man and an impressive sociologist, a significant amount of his work was discredited because he was a black man studying the lives of marginalized black people and the dominant culture did not want to pay heed to his field work in the early
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
In 1903 black leader and intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois wrote an essay in his collection The Souls of Black Folk with the title “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others.” Both Washington and Du Bois were leaders of the black community in the 19th and 20th century, even though they both wanted to see the same outcome for black Americans, they disagreed on strategies to help achieve black social and economic progress. History shows that W.E.B Du Bois was correct in racial equality would only be achieved through politics and higher education of the African American youth.
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 believe 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 quotes 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 focuses 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 Page). 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,
Du Bois, W. E. Burghardt. The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co.1903. Print.