William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: A Freedom Fighter - Assignment Example

W.E.B Du Bois: a Freedom Fighter William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in Western Massachusetts. He was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, writer and editor. He was a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP in 1909. He was engaged in the serious battle against racial discrimination and social injustice. As an activist, he fought for the rights of black people and the improvement of their living conditions. This strong commitment led to the clashes of views with Booker T Washington and some leaders of the Harlem Renaissance. He made a strong commitment to counteract the negative racist stereotypes about black people. He wrote many essays and books that reflect his social and political activism and express his point of view about the world. Du Bois attended school at Great Barrington where he experienced little discrimination when he was playing with his white schoolmates. A very smart boy, his teachers encouraged him to pursue his education further. When he was ready to attend college, the First Congregational Church of Great Barrington paid his tuition. He attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1885 to 1888 where he experienced racism for the first time. He earned a Bachelor’ s degree from Fisk, then attended Harvard from 1888 to 1890 and earned another Bachelor’s degree because this college did not accept the credits he earned from Fisk. This time, he mainly paid his tuition by working in the summer and applying for scholarships. In1892, Du Bois received a Fellowship to pursue Graduate School in Berlin, Germany. This experience gave him the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, opened his mind to different issues happening in the world, and sharpened his intellectual abilities. He also continued his graduate studies when he came back home and became the first African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University in 1895. To begin his professional career, he accepted a teaching position at Wilberforce University in Ohio where he met Alexander Crummell who strongly influenced him. Crummell was a pastor who spoke out against slavery and the plight of black people. He strongly denounced racial discrimination and advocated racial solidarity in order to achieve the advancement of the black community. After two years at Wilberforce, Du Bois accepted a one year research position at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896 where he conducted a sociological field research in Philadelphia’s African American neighborhood. This research led to the publication of The Philadelphia Negro published two years later. He got interested in research and published other works. He also started to teach at Atlanta University. The Philadelphia Negro was the first scientific sociological work published in America and the first scientific study about African Americans. He reflected on class divisions but mainly focused on the elite who might boost culture and progress. He identified many problems in the African American community and attributed the causes to slavery. While in Atlanta, he annually hosted the Atlanta Conference for Negro Problems in which various issues involving the community were discussed. His involvement in the cause of black people was constantly growing, and at the beginning of the new century, he became the spokesman of the community, after Booker T Washington. Du Bois opposed the Atlanta Compromise Washington agreed with Southern white leaders who took charge of the government after the failure of Reconstruction. This unwritten deal stipulated that Southern blacks would undergo discrimination, segregation, lack of voting rights and non-unionized employment while white leaders would allow them access to basic education, some economic opportunities and justice within the legal system. Du Bois called Washington’s approach counterproductive and accused him of focusing only on material progress and condemning African Americans to total submission. He rejected any proposal that would deny black people their civil rights, freedom and even dignity. As shown in this statement: Du Bois reads Washington as a figure faithful to the old ideals of docility and submission imposed and enforced during the days of slavery, with a little help from Christian theology. Yet these are not the days of slavery, and Du Bois contends that Washingtons solutions to the contemporary problems in the African-American community are too easily equated with purely economic solutions. (Ballan) Du Bois understood that the problem facing the African American Community was more than economic but involved more political and social realities that required appropriate solutions adequate to the time. He advocated higher education for blacks in order to prepare them to lead their community, be aware of the changes in the society but at the same time gain economic freedom. For him, education comes first and will lead to all other rights; however, basic education and access to low job will keep blacks as second class citizens and will not change their living conditions at all. Du Bois urged African Americans to fight for equal rights instead of accepting Washington’s deal that would expose them to submission. Du Bois continued the controversy in his book entitled The Souls of Black Folk published in 1903. In this collection, he renewed his opposition to Washington’s Atlanta Compromise which would deny African Americans their rights. He considered race to be the main problem of the 20th century which should be handled differently than Washington’s proposal. Du Bois put forward the concept of double consciousness that represented a real challenge for African Americans. For him, being American and Black is a unique identity that urges African Americans to look at themselves through white people’s eyes. To attenuate the pain facing blacks, Du Bois proposes in Souls solutions that will bring progress to the community, overcome the challenges and provide substantial improvement for blacks. The book offers a thorough examination of the years following the civil war with the problems the US faced during Reconstruction. Du Bois foregrounds the Southern opposition that led to the failure to set up plans for the benefit of all. He also denounces a national neglect that results in biased trials which jeopardizes people’s freedom. The new situation in which African Americans were living did not differ much from their previous enslavement: “The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land. Whatever of good may have come in these years of change, the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people,—a disappointment all the more bitter because the unattained ideal was unbounded save by the simple ignorance of a lowly people” (Souls). The lack of sound and fair political and social programs for blacks prevents them from enjoying their freedom and exposes them to a system that still refuses to grant them their full rights. Du Bois used his writings to express his point of view about the issues concerning the black community but also to criticize and denounce any injustice in the society. He was a very committed writer who took a stand on any issues he deemed necessary. He supported the women’s rights movement because he found it normal for women to be granted the right to vote. He even denounced the laws prohibiting interracial marriages because he realized that black women were the only victims since the white men were still abusing them. He published the Negro in 1915 which is an overview about African American history. He traced it back as far as the sub-Saharian cultures in Zimbabwe, Ghana and Songhai. He conducted a thorough research on the origin of black people and found their roots in Ancient Egypt. He also explored the civilizations of Zimbabwe, Ghana, Songhai and different empires that expressed African culture. The book also covers the history of the slave trade and its consequences in the US and the Caribbean. He explains: We have followed the history of mankind in Africa down the valley of the Nile, past Ethiopia to Egypt; we have seen kingdoms arise along the great bend of the Niger and strive with the ancient culture at its mouth. We have seen the remnants of mankind at Lands End, the ancient culture at Punt and Zimbabwe, and followed the invading Bantu east, south, and west to their greatest center in the vast jungle of the Congo valleys. (Negro) This exposition of African culture and civilization through these great empires allows him to refute the racist doctrines claiming that Africa has no history and made no contribution in the evolution of the world. After the review of these cultures, Du Bois comes at the conclusion: “That Negro peoples were the beginners of civilization along the Ganges, the Euphrates, and the Nile seems proven. Early Babylon was founded by a Negroid race” (Negro). This book is highly instrumental in helping to inspire the new generation of African Americans have a new perspective about themselves and their ancestors. The Negro is one of the best books to be ever written on the subject. Du Bois writings have had much impact on the lives of African Americans; however, the clarification he brought to their history was one of the most influential. Used to be stereotyped and considered to be less than nothing, black people felt glorified and dignified to find out that their forebears founded the first civilization in the history of humanity. This new discovery restored their lost identity and endowed them with pride to face their future and courageously defend their rights: “Du Bois contribution to this African American second stream of political thought takes both implicit and explicit form—through the structure of hus argument, not just through its content” (Bromell). Du Bois work always has an impact on readers whether it informs them about their historical backgrounds or about their rights as citizens. He does not only write history book and essays; indeed, his fiction is all the more influential. His use of imagination completely engages the reader: “Du Bois poems, novels and books of creative essays demand that his readers continually lift their eyes from the data of the here and now ton comtemplate a world that can be approached only through the imagination” (Bromell). This statement shows that Du Bois’ fiction is also compelling and has a real effect on his readers. As Du Bois wrote The Negro to claim African civilization and culture, he did more than that when he exibited images of African Americans in Paris in 1900. The exposition was meant to show the world the progress made by African Americans and to refute the negative ideas labeling black people as “savages.” His participation at this exposition was mainly motivated by an interest to show the Europeans and the whole world that their stereotypes of blacks were totally wrong. He gathered the best pictures of black people in their everyday life while reading, walking in the street, sitting in front of their porches to present at the exposition. In so doing, he was hoping to demonstrate that African Americans were civilized human beings who were not different from them: The images of representative blacks—of the educated, the prosperous, the handsome and phenotypically advantaged—display all the characteristics and virtues of which most whites, either in ignorance or from bigotry, believed most blacks to be devoid. Pictures of dark-skinned African Americans more reminiscent of pure African natives stare at the camera in high-collard or stylishly woven suits and dresses posted in offices, pews, and parlors. These photographs recast the New Negro as a collector of fine clothing, preserver of ancestral mementoes, and enthusiastic participant in the in the new economy of the south. (Clark) These images were used to convey a clear message to those who took advantage of the negative images about the inferiority of blacks to justify their enslavement, segregation and the denial of their citizenship rights. Du Bois chose an international setting for this battle he was engaged in to draw more attention to the issue and convince more people about the erroneous nature of the white supremacy theory: “These images were utilized to challenge preconceived perceptions and notions of American blacks, not only to the audiences of Europe but also to blacks back home in America. Du Bois’ images contrasted with those currently being promulgated in popularly read text which exaggerated the inherent superiority of white over that of blacks” (Clark). Du Bois’ sophisticated images have a positive impact on the European audience that rewarded him with a gold medal. His efforts have been greatly successful and widely recognized not only in the international level but also at home where African Americans understood they had the same rights as white people. Du Bois’ struggle also involved other aspects and even fields since he was not only interested in Harlem Renaissance but he was also a Pan-Africanist, committed to defend the cause of all people of African descent. He was not only concerned with the racial discrimination in America but also the colonialism in Africa. In fact, his attempt to prove the civility of blacks found a new expression in Harlem Renaissance that conveyed and promoted black artistic creativity. Harlem was the meeting place of different people who would claim to be admirers of black art. However, Du Bois’ pride in Harlem Renaissance faded away when he realized that the black artists did not promote the cause of the community, and some did not even abide by the moral responsibilities expected of them. Deceived by this attitude of the black artists, he stopped supporting them altogether. Nevertheless, he devoted more attention to Pan-Africanism and attended the second Pan-African Congress in London, in 1921, where he met black leaders from all around the world. Under Du Bois’ guidance the resolutions focused on racial equality and demanded that Africa be ruled by Africans and not colonialists. He also made a request to the League of Nations to take care of issues involving the continent and appoint Africans to leadership positions. Meanwhile Du Bois kept on writing and published Gift of Black Folk: the Negroes in the Making of America published in 1924 in which he detailed the role of African Americans in the economic and social development of the country. He exposes black people’s contributions in the early inventions and argued that blacks were crucial to conquering the wilderness, winning wars, expanding democracy and participating in creating a prosperous economy through their labor. Through this book we realized that Du Bois was still promoting the image of blacks and seeking to get their efforts recognized. Beside Black Folk Then and Now: an Essay in the History of and Sociology of the Negro Race was published in 1939. The book talks about black people’s experiences all around the world. Dusk of Dawn: an Essay toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept published in 1940 examines Du Bois’ life and family history. He exposes his own experiences as he struggles through the challenges of race and class during that time period, and he connects this genealogy of the race concept with lager historical and social issues. He uses his experience with race to illustrate the African American experience with race. Even though Du Bois’ commitment for his community was very strong, he was still a very controversial figure. In addition to his clashes of view with Booker T Washington and Marcus Garvey for what he thought would be better for African Americans, his changes of positions added to his controversial nature. His changing support to either the Democratic Party or Republican Party depending on which side would promote the cause of blacks made him seem unstable. However, he always put forward the interest of the community and only changed his position for its sake. The same thing happened with the Communist party which he primarily fought against before acknowledging its ability to resolve the issues facing African Americans. This shift of positions cost him his position at the NAACP and the label of controversial figure. Du Bois believed that capitalism was mainly responsible for the problems colored people faced around the world and communism was suited to solve racial issues. For the sake of his community, he joined the communist party in 1961. His involvement with the communist party was controversial because the U.S. saw communism as a threat and required its members to register with the government. Du Bois spent his whole life fighting to defend the rights of black people wherever they were. He used his writings to sensitize not only African Americans about their rights but also the international community to recognize their merit. He used his position as a scholar and writer to promote higher education for black in order to have leaders capable of helping their community. He led his struggle worldwide in Europe and especially in Africa, where he ended up living when the U.S. refused to renew his passport because of his involvement with communism. He embraced the continent he was calling home and finally died in Accra, Ghana, in 1963 where he was buried. Works Cited Ballan, Joseph. “The Prophethood of Work and the Gospels of The Souls of Black Folk.” Political Theology: 13.1 (2012): 60-75. ProQuest. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. Bromell, Nick. “W.E.B. Du Bois and the Enlargement of Democratic Theory.” Raritan 30: 4 (2011):140-63. ProQuest. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. Clark, Fendrich R. “The Social Change Rhetoric of Scholar and Activist W.E.B Du Bois: The Integral Part of Moral Inference.” NAAAS & Affiliates Conference Monographs (2010): 1042-78. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. Du Bois, William E. B. Black Folk Now and Then: an Essay in the History and Sociology of the Negro Race. New York: Holt, 1939. N. pag. Pgdp.net. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. ---. Dusk of Dawn. New York: Kraus, 1985. Print. ---. Gift of Black Folk: The Negroes in the Making of America. New York: Square One, 2009. Print. ---. The Negro. New York: Holt, 1915. N. pag. Pgdp.net. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. ---. The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Dover, 1994. N. pag. Gutenberg.net. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. Lindberg, K.V. “W.E.B. Du Bois’ Dusk of Dawn and James Yates’ Mississippi to Madrid or ‘What Goes around Comes around and around and around’ in Autobiography.” The Massachusetts Review 35.2 (1994): 283- 95. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. Stikkers, Kenneth. “An Outline of Methodological Afrocentrism, with Particular Application to the Thought of W.E.B Du Bois.” Journal of Speculative Philosophy 22.1 (2008): 40-51. ProQuest. Web. 11 Avr. 2012. Read More