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The Souls Of Black Folk Essay

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Web Du Bois’s novel the Souls of Black Folk describes the racial discrimination that separated African Americans and whites in the United States. After the civil war, Du Bois suffers the racism and segregation of the twentieth century. He wanted to be viewed and respected equally by people from any society. He faced the daily struggles of a divided nation and being inferior to a white race. He believed that a man could be born Negro and American but should be offered the same opportunities and rights as a white and American man. He also shares his identity crisis with his “double consciousness” and the “color line”. Segregation continued throughout the twentieth century although the emancipation from slavery was established in 1865. The Souls …show more content…

Du Bois emphasizes on the importance of education to help improve society. I believe if we can learn from mistakes and realize what is going on with the world we can make the world a better place. Black leaders were on the rise and evoked an inspiration of change. In the novel, “the most significant event in African American history has been the rise of the educator, Brooke T. Washington, to the role of spokesman for (black) race” (30). Brooke served a person to the blacks and gave support to them when they were oppressed by society by giving them faith and hope. Du Bois and Washington share similar views, Du Bios saw his ideas as “unnecessarily narrow” and did not focus on equality (32) as he believed that blacks deserved “civic equality” and have the “right to vote”. Those are the crucial freedoms in America, for people to progress within society everyone should have equal rights to thrive. This novel was so eye opening and so informative. I can understand how the African Americas were treated during this time period. Overall, The Souls of Black Folk eye opening to life of blacks. Reading the essays helped get insight on even present day situations they face. Racisms still exists to some extent but I believe Du Bois’ book can inspire people in the present day to apply his ideas. He vividly explains the effects the racism and segregation has on the African America

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Du Bois uses many different ways to target the reader. His main purpose in “Of Our Spiritual Strivings”, is to educate mistreated Africans American about demanding equality and rights that were promised to them around the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. Du Bois uses different types of literary devices (mostly personifications) and firsthand accounts stories about injustice to make his point to the reader. For example, Du Bois states, “Will America be poorer if she replaces her brutal dyspeptic blundering with light-hearted but determined Negro humility?” (Du Bois 297).

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Though both Washington and Du Bios were both born in the same era, it was their differences in background and technique that had the greatest impact on the future. I believe that Booker T. Washington’s views better suited to the historical conditions and attitudes of the times than W.E.B. Du Bios because Washington had first hand experience with slavery,

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In the analysis of the abundance of wonderful leaders who made a difference in the African American community since emancipation, W.E.B Du Bois made a special impact to advance the world. From founding the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to his influential book The Souls of Black Folk, he always found an accurate yet abstract way of verbalizing the strives of African Americans as well as making platforms for them to be known. Although he had less power than most of the bigger named African American leaders of his time, W.E.B Dubois’ overweighing strengths verses weaknesses, accurate and creative analogies, leadership style, and the successful foundations he stood for demonstrates his ability to be both realistic and accurate in his assessment since emancipation. Though Du Bois did have a beneficial impact

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Thesis statement: The two great leaders in the black community debating about the issues that face the Negro race and Du Bois gave a compelling argument by using pathos, logos and ethos to create an essay that will appear to all readers. Outline: This essay will showcase the contradicting philosophies between W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Also, paying close attention to the different types of leadership between the two historic leaders in the black community. Both W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington contributed to and helped shape the future of African Americans.

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As mentioned earlier, Du Bois most prominently stressed education as a means to earn political power. Du Bois argued that political power could be accumulated through social change facilitated by the Talented Tenth (Painter, 155). In other words, Du Bois thought it was important for the most educated African Americans to lead the masses of the African American race out of oppression. Thus, W.E.B Du Bois stressed the importance of education and political action above all

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DuBois’s first post-dissertation book, The Philadelphia Negro, released in 1899, determined that housing and employment discrimination were the principal barriers to racial equality and black prosperity in the urban North. (blackpast.org/aah/dubois-william-edward-burghardt-1868-1963) In his written book, The Souls of Black Folks, released in 1903, he argued for "manly" and "ceaseless agitation and insistent demand for equality” which demanded a education of equality for blacks that’s not inferior to whites. (W. E. B. Du Bois and the NAACP, Virginia Historical Society) Du Bois promoted the idea of self improvement, without giving up full citizenship rights, which impacted the general well being of African American and visualized the idea of having an exclusive group of all black, educated leaders called “The

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In the mid-to-late 1800s the African American community faced opposition and segregation. They were segregated from the whites and treated as second-class citizens. This segregation was caused in part by Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws separated races in schools, hospitals, parks, public buildings, and transportation systems. Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had ideas on how to improve African American lives, Washington believed in starting at the bottom and working up whereas Du Bois had an opposing viewpoint he saw starting from the bottom as submissive and believed African Americans should hold important jobs in order to demand equal treatment.

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Like Washington, Dubois also believes that African Americans deserve equal rights. In his Niagara Movement speech, he states, “We will not be satisfied to take on jot or tittle less than our full manhood rights. ”(Dubois 1) This quote expounds W.E.B Dubois’ viewpoint as being similar to Washington in that both men believe that African Americans deserve equal rights, yet they are continuously being being refused these

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1. What does Du Bois mean by the “double consciousness” of African Americans? What Du Bois meant by the “double consciousness” of African Americans is that they look at themselves through the eyes of others. “This double consciousness, this sense of always looking at oneself through the eyes of others, of measuring one soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity” African Americans know that the rest of America see them as a lowly and controversial group of people because they were once viewed as a piece of property and not a human being. Now that they are freedmen, America doesn’t know what to think about them.

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Washington and Du Bois had every intention to improve the social and political status of African Americans, but they sought different plans to achieve such goals due to their different upbringings, values, and opinions.

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Washington addressed “It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top” he was fighting for the rights of African Americans He believed the best way to do this was for African Americans to accept that they are inferior. Booker T. Washington believed that African Americans and whites should be equal and kept “separate as the fingers”. DuBois was a African American man that was born not as a slave but still believed that African Americans and Whites should be equal. In contrast, DuBois believed that African American boys should have the same education as White boys.

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Du Bois discussed once the southerners became prejudiced against them, all different injustices started unraveling. Firstly, restaurants, bathrooms, schools, and transportation were isolated for their used only. Secondly, they were denied their civil liberties like their right to vote, free speech, or the right to privacy. Thirdly, their human rights were violated. The black folk and their families of 8 to 10 slept in a 1 or 2 room cabin violating their right to a decent life.

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These two individuals have varying views on the education of black Americans. Booker T Washington took the view that proper higher education made for the betterment of the black community. He believed that taking pride in one’s race and becoming responsible citizens is what would help the black Americans against the racial discrimination they received. He also helped to create black higher education. The main difference between these two arguments is that one focused on education while the other focused more on social action.

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In :From the Souls of Black Folk, pg. 885 states” Leaving, then, the world of the white man, I have stepped within the veil, raising it that you may view faintly its deeper recesses, - the meaning of its religion, the passion of its human sorrow, & the struggle of its greater souls.” Dubois takes a stance, of let us do what we can, so that they can not say they are better. He highlights black struggle, while pointing out the detriment of pointing out other’s wrongdoing. Another aspect of Dubois writing that I appreciate is the idea of realistic societal oppression.

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W.E.B. Du Bois wants to draw you into the perspective of how black people were

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