Eugene Robert Black Loved his Work as the President of World Bank

The essay that I am presenting today is “Strivings of the Negro People” by W.E.B Dubois. This essay was written in as an article in the Atlantic Monthly in 1987, but before I get to essay, I would like to give some background information about Mr. Dubois. Both scholar and activist, W.E.B. Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He studied at Harvard University and, in 1895, became the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. He wrote extensively and was the best known spokesperson for African American rights during the first half of the 20th century. Du Bois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. He died in

W.E.B. Dubois The great African American intellectual W.E.B. Dubois was born in the post-Civil War era. Being born at this time encouraged him to fight for equal rights for blacks. At this time, blacks were still suppressed very greatly. Dubois, having had lived in an all black community, experienced racism first-hand in the North (Donalson, 558).

Booker T Washington was one of the best advocates in his time. Growing up in slavery and out coming the horrifying struggles of the 1870’s was a great effort. Born in the era were black people were like flies he found a determination to succeed and discovered many powers in life.

He transformed the economy of the U.S through his business skills. It was because of his wise choices and investments that helped him rise to the top. It also made him a captain of industry because he owned every step of the process of producing steel, from creating it, to transporting it, to selling it. He didn’t keep his wealth all to himself. After selling his business, he spent the end of his life helping others and donating his money to good causes. Making positive contributions to the country is another reason why he was a captain of

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

Allen Jr. graduated cum laude from Georgia Tech in the worst year of the Great Depression. Soon after commencement, he went to work for his father’s business, the Ivan Allen Company, which sold office supplies and furniture. At the time, it was one of Atlanta’s most successful businesses, grossing $196,000 in 1933. That summer, he worked in the basement of the company headquarters as an apprentice to a black employee by the name of Arthur Wright. In 1936, he began a side occupation in politics by campaigning for then Georgia Governor Ed Rivers and afterwards holding a number of state government positions. Allen Jr. also continued his work for the family business until he was drafted into the army in 1942 to serve in the Second World War, interrupting both careers for a while.

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Born into a middle class family, he was the first son of Jesse Root Grant, a tanner and businessman, and Hannah Simpson Grant. A year after his birth, his family packed their bags and moved to Georgetown, Ohio. Here Grant spent the majority of his childhood, one he deemed “uneventful.” The son of an outgoing father and reserved mother, Grant took after the latter, characterized as shy in his childhood. He was abhorrent toward the idea of taking over his father’s tannery business, a fact his father slowly came to realize. So rather than inheriting his father’s business, Grant was arranged to enter the United States Military Academy at the age of 17.

Pulitzer Prize winner Douglas A. Blackmon started off small in Leland Mississippi, publishing his first story to his local newspaper at age 12. Later on in life he attended college at Hendrix University where he got his degrees in English. Throughout life his career has been mainly focused on the history of race and human rights. Blackmon has worked in a variety of places though out his career such as the Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Wall Street Journal, and in 2011 he joined the Washington Post.

Washington’s speech in Atlanta, Georgia is what made his career really take off for being an African American activist. His speech was directed towards both white and black races. He told them that both the races need to surround each other with one another and to try and overcome this inequality. In Clashes of Will it states, “Specifically Washington reminded the blacks in his audience that they must be prepared to start at the bottom as workers, not executives, as grade school teachers, not university professors; that they would have to earn the respect of whites rather than demand it as a right guaranteed by law….” Another accomplishment he set out for was creating the National Negro Business League. The organization promoted the businesses that were owned by African Americans and to help them feel that they were supported and protected. The main goal of the National Negro Business League was to advocate the sales of the Negro community businesses. Booker T. Washington’s baby was the Tuskegee Institution, a black college. Washington even offered DuBois a job three times to teach at the institution but he denied them all three times because he did not believe in the same morals as Washington. Washington was quite clever. When he had his hand in the businesses he managed to become familiar with wealthy white businessman that generously donated to the funds of the black education. One of the contributors was Andrew Carnegie, leading entrepreneur for the steel

W.E.B. DuBois, a black intellectual believed that Washington's strategy would only serve to perpetuate white oppression. DuBois initially advocated for Washington's strategy, however he grew to find it unacceptable as he became more outspoken about racial injustice. DuBois campaigned for a civil rights agenda and argued that educated blacks could accomplish social change. With the belief that African Americans should work together to battle inequality DuBois helped found the NAACP. DuBois was not content with attempting to gain an economic foothold; he wanted absolute equality in all aspects of life. DuBois believed that Washington "devalued the study of liberal arts, and ignored the economic exploitation of the black masses. He believed that "The Negro Race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education then, among Negroes, must first of all deal with the ‘Talented Tenth.' [which] is the problem of developing the best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the worst." He believed that the economic and political issues facing African Americans could be solved if the most talented ten

Dr. W. E. B. DuBois was known as an African American hero who truly believed that a person's vocational calling should be dictated by ability and choice, not by race. DuBois, unlike Booker T. Washington, not only demanded an immediate change but also drastic change, and was not afraid to challenge both blacks and whites on social and educational issues to accomplish change because he knew at that point, something needed to happen now. His strong activism and courage set the stage for future changes in the African American and White American race relations.

Everyone has a contribution in this world to make, even African Americans. DuBois continually stressed this to his fellow black community in his book The Souls of Black Folk. What they learn in schools will help the students determine what they will do further in life. If they choose to be the “talented ten” and choose academics, the black world will need them. African Americans need other African Americans to fill all occupations that a white man would. “Who

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.

Dr. Dubois was awarded the first Spingarn Medal in 1920. This was awarded "to that Negro who achieved the highest in any human endeavor." He was an activist for global affairs, editor of the NAACP Crisis publication, and set up the meeting for the first Pan-African Congress. He was an individual of principle and conviction. The seeds he planted still nourish us today. (http://www.websn.com/Pride/Pride/w.htm)

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.