W.E.B. Dubois: His Vision For Freedom

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Recommended: Racism in America in the 20th century

African Americans during the 1900s lived lives full of uncertainty. They were no longer slaves, but still looked upon by many as inferior to the white race. However in this period of tension, there were men who sought to bring their race to new heights. One of these men was W.E.B Du Bois. Few have influenced the lives of African Americans in such a way as W.E.B Du Bois. The vision he had for African Americans was one that many found great hope in. He sought for the day that his race for finally have civil equality in every aspect of life.

In the time of Du Bois, African Americans may have been considered free but still lacked many civil liberties, that the whites were easily granted. One of the biggest civil liberties they lacked was voting rights. To Du Bois voting for African Americans was one of his greatest hopes, he believed that “with the right to vote goes everything” (Niagara Movement 1). If African Americans could gain this right, the doors to other civil equalities would then open. Nonetheless this was not such an easy tasks, there were so many “flagrant...political scandals that reputable men began to leave politics alone” (Of Sons of Masters 5). The African American men and women had been so put down by the whites, that voting to them became too much of a hassle. Even though views toward voting seemed hopeless, Du Bois spoke out the with the biggest question of them all “It is possible, and probable, the nine million of men can make effective progress in economic lines if they are deprived of political rights” (The Souls of Black Folk 5)? How could African Americans build their lives, if they had no say in any of it? It was clear to Du Bois that voting was essential, without it his people would not be able to li...

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...all daily freedoms, the African American people would finally be seen as equal to their white brothers and sisters.

Works Cited

Du Bois, W.E.B. “Niagara Movement Speech.” Teaching American History. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.

Du Bois, W.E.B. “President Harding and Social Equality.” Teaching American History. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.

Du Bois, W.E.B. “The Talented Tenth.” Teaching American History. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.

Du Bois, W.E.B. “Of the Sons of Masters and Man” Teaching American History. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.

Du Bois, W.E.B. “Chapter III: Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others.” The Souls of Black Folk. 1903. Bartleby.com. 2011. np. 3 Oct. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/114/3.html. Web.

“Lynching in the Golden Age.” Encyclopedia of American History: The Development of the Industrial United States. Volume VI. Database. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.

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