educator essayist journalist scholar social critic activist
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Educator Essayist Journalist Scholar Social critic Activist
“The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line—the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea”.
(Du Bois 1903/1989:13)
JULY 9, 1868 14th Amendment granted due process and equal protection under the law to African Americans.
JUNE 12, 1963Mississippi's NAACP field secretary, 37-year-old Medgar Evers, was murdered outside his home in Jackson, Miss. Byron De La Beckwith was tried twice in 1964, both trials resulting in hung juries. Thirty years later, he was convicted of murdering Evers.
The Philadelphia Negro (1899)
The Souls of Black Folk (1903)
The Souls of White Folk (1920)
Born: Great Barrington, MA
By age 16, formulated basic premise of social & political philosophy:
Black Americans must organize as race-conscious bloc to win &
exercise freedom
First black graduate in his high school
Community leaders (including high school principal & prominent pastors) paid for Du Bois to attend Fisk University•Historically black school in Nashville, TN
B.A. –Fisk University M.A.—Harvard University Study-abroad at Un. of Berlin
Ph.D.—Harvard University
The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903
Most famous book
One of most important books on race and class written in U. S.
From 1940s until his death in 1963--Wrote eloquently and provocatively about the twin evils of colonialism and imperialism
Criticized black community:
Black parents: For not reinforcing the value of formal education
Black Church: For not combating social corruption and moral decay
The Talented Tenth
Burden for winning freedom and justice for African Americans on the shoulders of:
Best prepared, Educationally and Economically
Motivation for creation of racial differences was
economic: Racial discrimination
preceded prejudice Prejudice created to justify
treatment Discrimination -> Prejudice
Economic & political control of government by big business
Developed during 1870s in the US
Du Bois’ Question: Who should benefit from
capitalism? Who should have the power?
Good: Increased production & distribution of goods & services
Bad: Created opportunities for more selfishness & corruption
A planned economy Elected democratic government
People serve the state State also serves the people
Political domination of one country by another (Ex. Britain, France, Portugal,
Germany)
The use of weaker country's resources to
strengthen and enrich stronger country
Colonization by powerful country
Created racism to justify colonialism & exploitation
Creating an inferior race justified the treatment to create profits
Colonizing nations used the strategy of “divide and
conquer” Encouraged hatred between Groups: Moslems & Hindus Arabs & Jews Protestants & Catholics
Connected with colonialism
Political domination costly to colonial power (i.e., military)
Capitalists’ domination of imperial power & the colonies produced huge profits
(Imperialist capitalism)
War is central to imperialist capitalism
Profit from war
Profit from the preparation for war
Basic element in social organization
Societies based on some group’s oppression of other groups
3 main responses (by the oppressed) to oppression
1. Feelings of revolt & revenge
2. Attempts to adjust
3. Attempts at self-development
“Manure theory of social organization”
Lower classes: Onlycapable of most inhuman &inhumane work
“Manure Theory” foundation of a Theory of Exclusion
“Progress” based on excluding more & more people from benefits of culture
Result: Only a few remain at top
Changeable
Not inherently good or bad
Most prejudices learned & can be changed
Change comes through reason & education
Major Themes of Modern Social Life•Race & Racism
•Gender & Sexism
•Democracy
•Equality
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