William Richard Dubois Biography Essay

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

He began to teach economics at Atlanta University (Wager, 3). In this time period, Dubois accomplishments were uncommon for an African American. He had to be tenacious and goal-oriented to make such accomplishments. In 1903, Dubois published The Soul of Black Folks (Salty's Stamps, 4).

W. E. B. Du Bois was born in Great Barrington,In 1884 he graduated as valedictorian from high school. He got his bachelor of arts from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the first african american to earn their P.H.D. DuBois was the leader of the Niagara Movement, a group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for blacks. W.E.B dubois argued that social change could be accomplished by developing the small group of college-educated blacks he called "the Talented Tenth:" Dubois disagreed with Washington's opinions but also respect for him as one of the first true black intellectuals who tried to help the black race. Dubois focused on a strategy called the gradualist political strategy. the strategy tells that Dubois

William Edward Burghardt Dubois was the first African-American to earn a doctorate and lived Atlanta Georgia. He was civil rights activist and historian. In 1903 he wrote The Souls of Black Folk where he disagreed with Washington because he felt the color-line was performing a disservice to the black population. While Dubois acknowledges him as, “a compromiser between the South, the North, and the Negro” : he also said,” Mr. Washington is especially to be criticized.” Dubois believed the exact opposite of Washington, he said, “Such men feel in conscience bound to ask of this nation

DuBois focused on developing education for the African American race and philosophy to develop. This is the second chapter in his book The Negro Problem. He talks about that with an educated group of exceptional leaders, the rest of the African American community would also benefit from this education. DuBois and Washington are rivals during the time that this document was written and DuBois is trying to focus on industrial education, as like Washington did in his speech. DuBois claims “to attempt to establish any sort of a system of common and industrial school training, without first providing for the higher training of the very best teachers, is simply throwing your money to the winds (3).” Whereas Washington believed in an industrial education, DuBois believed that African Americans needed a classical education. He seeks to promote, “intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is and of the relation of man to it” (33-4). DuBois, wants blacks to get a classical education so that they would be able to do something with their lives and reach their full potential. He believes they need to do this for their own self to be able to make a living. I feel like this is very important because I do not think the race of someone should affect the way they are treated in society. During this time, they were not always treated fairly, and most did not even get an education. DuBois just wanted what was best for

W.E.B. DuBois was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He died August 27, 1963 but not before he was known as a historian,professor writer, editor, sociologist and my favorite , the radicalist. Du Bois grew up in a single parent home

W.E.B. Dubois was the rivaling civil rights leader during the early 20th century. W.E.B. Dubois believed that through political action and education, full-citizenship of African Americans in America would be achieved. At first, he agreed with Booker T. Washington’s teachings, however through time Dubois realized flaws within Washington’s ideas. Dubois, in “Soul of Black Folk” writes, “The black men of America have a duty to perform, a duty stern and delicate, -- a forward movement to oppose a part of the work of their greatest leader. So far as Mr. Washington peaches

DuBois stresses the importance of education amongst the black race. He believes that African Americans should be educated in order to guide and

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

William Edward Burkhardt DuBois, whom we all know as W.E.B. DuBois; was a novelist, public speaker, poet, editor, author, leader, teacher, scholar, and romantic. He graduated from high school at the age of 16, and was selected as the valedictorian, being that he was the only black in his graduating class of 12. He was orphaned shortly after his graduation and was forced to fund his own college education. He was a pioneer in black political thoughts and known by many as a main figure in the history of African-American politics. W.E.B. DuBois attended Fisk University, where he was awarded a scholarship after he graduated high school. Fisk University was located in Nashville, Tennessee. While attending this University, this is where he saw

Dubois writings, unlike Washington’s writings survived aging and sounds modern. Both Dubois and Washington, however, wanted the best for their people, both were sincerely engaged in racial uplift, and therefore in the end neither was “right” or “wrong.” Indeed, Washington’s ideas fitted the era that he lived in and Dubois ideas the future.

It was during these educational years that DuBois further solidified his belief that education was the remedy for his people. DuBois felt "the problem of the twentieth 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 seas" (qtd. in Weinberg, 81). DuBois main theory was

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

This higher power represented by Dubois was the white population. Even after emancipation, the slaves were still captive. They worked only for a place to live and food to eat because they had no money to enter the world as working men in business or in anything other than their learned skill of farming and raising the household. Similarly, Dubois lives in a generation where the black man is free, yet he is still segregated in nearly everything he does. He claims how “The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land”(8). By writing this, he claims how America is still not perfect, yet no matter how far they have come, “the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people”(8). His

William Edward Burghardt, also known as W.E.B DuBois, was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. While his father was absent in parts of his life he heavily relied on his mother to take care of him throughout his life.DuBois freely attended white school and was fully supported by his white teachers. Like Dubois Maya Angelou’s father was not in the picture. While visiting her mother, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend and completely stopped talking. Maya’s uncles later killed her mother’s boyfriend for revenge for what he had done to her.