W. E. Du Bois Conflict

Du Bois was a man who in attempt fought against segregation in the Civil Rights movement. He wrote a book called The Souls of Black Folk in order to express his ideas on the oppression of slavery and discrimination to demand higher education. Not only did he support the civil rights movement, he also wrote about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. both of whom had different approaches. Martin Luther King Jr. was a highly influential African American leader who attempted to end segregation in a more peaceful manner. Malcolm X however had more of a militant outlook in the civil rights movement.

W.E.B Du Bois was an African-American Activist that earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University. That made him the first African-American in History to earn such a high degree at a high-class University. W. E. B. Du Bois was also a very talented writer one of his quotes were “The slave went free; stood a moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery.” The slaves gained freedom in 1865, which meant they no longer were forced to be property or work without payment. Some African-Americans uplifted themselves into the Middle Class in which were brought luck. They were delighted and strongly believed that education was vital for their people. They eventually were able to attend school and learn some skills. They received information to refine

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an African-American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, co-founder of NAACP, and author of “The Crisis” which is the longest running black publication in the United States. Du bois was born in 1868 in Massachusetts, the same year that the 14th amendment was passed, about five years after the emancipation proclamation, and three years after the American civil war. He graduated with two bachelor’s degree and was the first African-American to receive his PHD from Harvard University. Dubois was also a peace activist who advocated nuclear disarmament, and he was one of the first proponents of race-conflict theory. Du bois work on the idea of “Double-consciousness” attempts to answer: What is it like to be a visible minority in America, especially for those who identify as black or African-American?

W.E.B. Du Bois was a man with impressive accomplishments and achievements. He was the first ever African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University and he

Audre Lorde once wrote in the book of poems; Our Dead Behind Us, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Every race, group of people, and individuals have differences that can dominate over their similarities. Rather than pointing out the differences, they should be accepted and encouraged, at least this is what many thought during the time of racism. Booker Taliaferro Washington was a very dominant figure in the African-American community. He was an educator, author, public speaker, and an advisor. In contrast, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was a historian, civil rights activist, sociologist, author, writer, and editor. He worked with movements to strengthen bonds between those with African backgrounds, under the belief of unity. Both Washington and Du Bois were very active in the issues of racism against African-Americans during the 1900’s. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois strongly wanted change in how the black race were treated by the white race, however they had very different points of view in which Washington thought that accommodation was key, whereas Du Bois thought resistance would work best.

Bois was not allowed to join clubs and dances due to his skin color. With his

Few men have influenced the lives of African-Americans as much as William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois is considered more of a history-maker than a historian(Aptheker, "The Historian"). Dr. Du Bois conducted the initial research on the black experience in the United States. Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. have referred to Du Bois as a father of the Civil Rights Movement. Du Bois conducted the initial research on the black experience in the United States, and paved the way for the Pan-African and Black Power movements. This paper will describe his life, work, influence in the black community, and much publicized civil dispute with another black leader, Booker T. Washington.

W.E. Du Bois addresses race with the quote, “between me [Du Bois] and the other world there is ever an unasked question: unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it,” (Levine 203). This quote emphasis how people think about race, because the question they want to ask is how does it feel to be the problem? In the time period that Du Bois is writing in, race is a problem. There is so much segregation and hurt that it is a social and moral issue. The books in class, like Harrison, has talked about race and power. Two significant cases in American history have shown that race is a problem. The first is Plessy v Ferguson caused segregation to win the case and then Brown v. Board of Education

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.

This shows relation to the ‘conflict theory’, because different social groups are not treated equally.

Sociology is the study of group behavior through the use of scientific investigation and research (Vissing, 2011). This class has shown so many different views on sociology. It explains how different people see society and how they live and interact with them. My theorist of choice is W.E.B Du Bois, because he laid down the foundation for the study of black sociology and the work of scholars such as E. Franklin Frazier (Vissing, 2011). In this paper I will discuss why I feel that W.E.B Du Bois views align with my personal views.

W.E.B. Du Bois can be most simply characterized with the “who” element of the question of inequality. Much of his sociological and political writings concern the inclusion and consideration of African Americans and others of African and non-European descent in studies and discussions of the social world. More specifically, he is concerned with acknowledging differences in the experience and conditions of Whites versus non-Whites.

Conflict theory sees societies comprised of groups with conflicting values and interests. (Vold et al. 1998)

Conflict theory is still prevalent today. “But as in all previous forms of society, a system that was once revolutionary has become the opposite. The potential to make new advances in the way that people use resources and produce things to meet their needs [...] has come into conflict with capitalism's social structure, dominated by a ruling class that puts its own wealth and power first”(Maass). In today’s world, products are not made to be distributed in bulk for people who need them, but to make a profit. This type of living creates conflict in society(Maass).

Conflict theory is “A major sociological perspective that sees society as a set of groups in constant competition over wealth, power, and prestige. (Larkin, 2015)” Conflict theory is a more view primarily stating