Thoughts on Characteristics of Race and Gender: Du Bois vs. De Beauvoir

Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk,” the author Sandra L. Barnes discusses how Dubois used his book to show “social problems of the day.” In her article she discusses religion played a role in white and black lives. She also writes about how DuBois talks about racism in America and what impact it had. She mentions the imbalance of economics among races and how prominent black figures came about. Next, she discusses how important education was for blacks.

In this essay the author argued the strategy employed by Mr. Booker T. Washington during a period in history where race relations were hyper sensitive. Mr. Washington felt that the only chance for the survival and development of the Negro race was to submit to the white man by giving up three critical rights of American society; those were, the right to vote, civil rights, and access to higher education. In doing so, he calculated that if black people focused on industrial education, wealth accumulation, and conciliation of the South, they’d stand a better chance of advancing as a race. As Du Bois argued,” In other periods of intensified prejudice all the Negro's tendency to self-assertion has been called

The struggle for equality and the battle to have one’s suppressed voice be heard is prevalent throughout the history of the United States. The Native Americans, women, and even Catholics have all encountered discrimination and belittlement in one shape or form, which eventually urged individuals within those groups to rise up and demand equal opportunity. As the United States began to shift away from slavery, one of the most deep rooted, controversial dilemmas aroused- what do black people need to do in order to gain civil rights both economically and socially? Booker T. Washington’s “Atlanta Exposition Address” and W.E.B. Du Bois's “The Soul of Black Folks” were pieces of writings influenced by the puzzle that black people were left to solve. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois had contrasting ideas, but they both contributed a piece to the puzzle in hopes of solving the never ending mind game.

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B Dubois is about the development of the African American race since slavery. Dubois makes an analysis of what African Americans went through – how they struggled, and despite all the barriers, how they survived. He also includes personal stories of his family and childhood days. The purpose of this analysis was to alert his race that this is what African-Americans need, and not what Booker T. Washington was proposing at the time. At their time, the stakes were high, time was ticking, and people needed leaders to guide them. W.E.B Dubois became one of the most influential leaders in the African American community. By publishing this analysis, he was able to get the attention of America.

Du Bois’ book, The Souls of Black Folk, is an insightful piece as it looks at the civil rights activist and their contribution to equality of blacks in America, for it not only applies to late 1800s but also society today. Racism and the division of blacks and whites is no longer defined by education today due to these contributions of many these civil rights activist. This compilation is impactful as it not only summarizes and explains the past events but also has many factors that continue to be applicable. Du Bois’ concept that educations ability to overcome the barrier of racism and discrimination was shown to be successful in society today, and the importance of education can be applied to today's society as it continues to correlate with success throughout the world. For this reason, The Souls of Black Folk, can be considered important for not only those who are interested in the history of America but also those who look at the psychological and social aspects that has made America stand where it is

    William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, author, writer and editor. He is an important figure in both African American history and in American Literature, who is widely recognized for his pursuit of social justice and literary imagination. He was influenced to write The Souls of Black Folk, a non-fiction seminal work in the history of sociology, in 1903 in order to explain the problem of the Twentieth Century, the color-line. This is the backbone of the book, the core of it’s charm, and what makes it an important American Literature book under the realist paradigm.

What can we do better for our country instead of making a mockery towards the blacks who are poorly educated, and have severe economic issues by not providing equal opportunities and not providing schools for them? And could these actions really lead blacks to crime, violence, and laziness? W.E.B Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folks provides his readers a second – hand experience of what racism and segregation was like during the late eighteen hundred. In addition, he presents major themes such as double – consciousness, the color – line, and most important “the Veil”. The importance of “The Veil” describes the real-life experience of what life is like for an African American living in a nation that is divided up into two race groups and receiving terrible treatments. In Du Bois’ “introduction” he states that the greatest problem that blacks face during the twentieth Century was the color – line. The main reason that the color – line is such a problem during the twentieth Century is because it’s tough for the blacks to achieve

W.E.B. Du Bois (1968-1963) was a huge contributor to sociology through the eyes and experience of an African-American scholar (Vissing, 2011). Du Bois was an author, activist and student of Black sociology. In his 1897 article, Strivings of the Negro People”, Du Bois introduced the term “double-consciousness”, a concept I believe to be just as relevant in today’s African-American communities. Double consciousness refers to what Du Bois considered an absence of “true self consciousness” (Du Bois, 1897) amongst Africans in America. In place of that absence, lies a dual awareness- awareness of one’s self combined with an awareness

Du Bois in his epochal collection The Souls of Black Folk reflects the old image of African-Americans who endure hardships and sufferings, but his outcry against racial discrimination is permeated in the book. His constantly appealing for equity, unity and ethnic identity helps black people raise their political consciousness, and improve their national self-respect. They hope to blend into the American mainstream society and build a color-blind and integrated American society. A new identity is anchored by African heritage. The music and performances of African-Americans attract lots of audience among which white Americans are included.

W.E.B Du Bois “The souls of Black Folks” touches on issues of the black community and being considered a “problem”. African Americans are not only considered a problem in today’s world, but also in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. W. E. B Du Bois once said "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line." (p. 13) Being a part of the black scholar community one has to understand the difference between complexity of blackness and black genius. As a member of the black community one should not feel as though we are the problem, but the solution to an issue.

Between 1890 and 1906, Black people were rejected from the area of politics, as southern states amended their constitutions to deny Black American citizens their voting rights that had been ratified by the Fifteenth Amendment. The beliefs of racial uplift, was an idea that placed responsibility on educated Black people for the well-being of the majority of their race. This was a reaction to the assault on African American civil and political rights, also known as “the Negro problem (Washington 8).” During this era, there were opportunities for Black people to become leaders of Black communities everywhere. African American leaders combated stereotypes by highlighting class differences among Blacks that believed in the stereotypes themselves. In 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois published the book, The Souls of Black Folk. He criticized "the old attitude of adjustment and submission" that had been expressed by Booker T. Washington in the Atlanta Compromise Address (Hill 734). Washington addressed that Southern Black people should work and submit to White political rule, while Southern White people guaranteed Black people the reception of basic educational and economic opportunities. Du Bois believed that full civil rights and increased political representation, would uplift the Black community during this time. African Americans needed the opportunities for advanced education to develop this sore of leadership, titled the “Talented Tenth”, an African-American intellectual elite

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

Throughout his passage, DuBois made a very clear warning toward African Americans that if they were not careful, their race would soon be no more. In assimilating to the white culture, Du Bois believed they would “cease to be Negroes as such and become white in action if not completely in color” (DuBois, W.E.B., 135) He knew that while his fellow Negroes

W.E.B. Du Bois spent most of his career focusing on race relations and he defined the problem of the color line. For most of his life he believed in integration, but towards the end of his life he began to focus on Black Nationalism after he became discouraged with the lack of progress in race relations (Allan, 2013). Du Bois was an author, a poet, civil-rights activist, Pan-Africanist, a sociologist, and he was known for many other trades that he spent his time doing throughout his life. He graduated valedictorian from high school then earned his bachelor’s degree of arts from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Then he attended Harvard University and got his bachelor of arts cum laude, and then he pursued graduate studies in

W.E.B. Du Bois is considered one of the top five people of the twentieth century. He is an intellectual, who is admired by both his supporters and adversaries. Du Bois, in his essay, tells his audience that he is not only a genius among blacks, but he is also a revered scholar of humankind. He is well educated among prestigious universities such as Fisk, Harvard, and Heidelberg, and is the first African American to earn a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University. Mr. Du Bois is not a meager intellectual, whose intelligence is measured by the capacity of his knowledge, but he also uses his knowledge to fight for the equality of his people. Among the different identities of Du Bois, he is also the founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As a reader, one interprets that Du Bois' essay is an authentic narration of the life of African Americans. Du Bois uses context from his point of view as a free man; therefore, his words are less biased than his counterparts. He allows the readers to freely establish their own perspective on the problem of the color people by giving them the chance to see the lives of African Americans before the Civil War through Reconstruction. Du Bois also uses historical references, case studies, and personal storytelling examples to define the problem of the people of African heritage in the United States. The first chapters of The Souls of Black Folk contain historically relevant material,