Preview

W. E. B. Dubois Education Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
414 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
W. E. B. Dubois Education Analysis
The twentieth century was a transitional moment in history for African Americans and literary scholars and activists like W.E.B. Du Bois made sure of this. He succeeded in protesting and making aware the importance of an education. The treatment of slaves prior to the twentieth century ultimately shaped that era and what was to come of it. Despite the freedom that blacks were exposed to following the Emancipation proclamation, Du Bois felt that new the ideal and a new form of power came through education. The importance of “book-learning” as Du Bois sees it is due to the fact that whites were able to have a substantial amount of power due to the education that they acquired, that slaves were so wrongfully rejected. Although many slaves were refused an …show more content…
Essentially this led to the deprivation of education for the black race and the lack of academic capability. Due to this deprivation, only a few blacks were educated, however, following the Emancipation proclamation it was sought to that African Americans endeavor to attain knowledge and that this would ultimately mean that they would be on par with the whites. However, the main problem that prohibited this new ordeal was the issue of segregation. It hung heavily upon America, particularly in the south and meant that despite being freed, blacks felt as though they had no place in society. They were deprived of work due to their lack of experience and education, they struggled to find accommodation because of the lack of work and this heavily impacted the lives and quality of lives of blacks. And the core issue led back to the absence of education. Du Bois highlights that despite America being insert quote (land of dollars) opportunities and jobs are not as prudent as they should be due to the prejudice that they choose to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In 1933, during a time in history where many African American minds were focused mainly with the economic turmoil of the country, Dr. Carter G. Woodson published a book entitled “The Miseducation of the Negro.” Dr. Woodson’s main objective of writing the book was to empower Blacks and enlighten them on the untapped potential our race has had throughout history, but hasn't yet discovered. Rather than attacking who he often refers to as the “oppressor” for blindfolding us, Dr. Woodson hold us accountable and calls us “miseducated.” In Chapter 18 of “The Miseducation of the Negro”, he stresses the important of being educated on our history as it shapes the future of our race. It goes without saying that Blacks have been so well controlled by their…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In learning about slavery and the society which it existed in, our interest should not be purely scientific, for we will have learned nothing of value. Rather we should have a desire to understand the insturments of oppression and its evils. If we can recogonize them then perhaps we can adapt ourselves when faced with their posion in our own lives. It is not possible to learn, in the context a college class, the horror felt by slaves nor the action or inaction which they felt necessary to take. However, as members in the long family line of the opressor class we have extensive documentation of our ancestors thoughts and actions. For me, this course aims to show us those thoughts and actions in their totality so that we may see their failures in the greater context of slavery and reflect. Tim Wise said that each and every one of us is a member of at least one dominating class. It is in those words that this course finds its greatest meaning - and if we are to learn anything this quarter it is that our status as a dominator brings with it tremendous responsibility. This is not the responsibility, as many slave owners believed, to take care of and educate the dominated as if they were too weak and foolish to survive without our guidance. But rather it is the responsibility to educate ourselves, and to that end, face oppression through the eyes of the oppressed as can only be done by…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Talented Tenth Summary

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages

    W.E.B. Bois believed in and valued. He contemplated on the reasons why the Negros had not taken their rightful position in the society even after the freedom of reconstruction period (Washington 65). The whites still occupied major positions in the society while the blacks were considered as the second human beings. Their thought that the slavery period was concluded did not ring sense in the minds of their former masters. Being a scholar, Mr. Du Bois advocated for the few learned blacks to be aggressive at seeking the available positions in governance. He had the hope that if they continued to forge towards their desire then one of their bright young men could represent them at the high positions. The agenda of equity was further advocated by the church missionaries who regarded life as God-given and that all people were created equally (Horne…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The time period of 1877 to 1915 was a period in history when the people of the Black race were being granted a free status, but equality, on the other hand, was not an option to some higher white officials. During this time period, many leaders started to fight for what they believed in by appealing to the white governing body for social equality. Two of the leaders that came out of that uproar were the well-known Black equality activists of that time, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. Both of these leaders ultimately had the same goal, however, the paths that they took to achieve that goal were significantly different. Booker T. Washington had a “gradualism” stance to deal with the problems of poverty and discrimination facing Black Americans, while W.E.B. Du Bois wants Black equality immediately and does not offer any alternatives. In retrospect, Booker T. Washington’s strategy was more appropriate for the time period than that of W.E.B. Du Bois because Washington’s proposal included the whole race of Blacks along with compromises with the white population while Du Bois’s proposal only included the top ten percent of the Black race, making his philosophy inappropriate for this time period.…

    • 1910 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the early 1900’s both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois presented a plan for racial justice. While the two plans fought for the same people, their approach, ideologies, and goals differed. Both men were brave to speak out, but overall Du Bois created a plan that was radical and one that represented the African American community well. Du Bois most compelling tool used in his plan for racial justice lies in his word choices. The way he uses metaphors like “the veil” and “double consciousness” to highlight what it was like to have dark skin in that time period allows the reader to empathize with him.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Undoubtedly the aim of his oppressors has been to convince him that his history is unimportant so as to deprive him of the sense of pride that is so necessary to feel wholly human. By espousing that “he has no worthwile past, that his race has done nothing significant since the beginning of time, and that there is no evidence that he will ever achieve anything great” (Woodson 6), his oppressors can be sure that the African American will continue down the path of mis-education that so allows for his subservience to a system that cares nothing for him. However, “if you teach the Negro that he has accomplished as much good as any other race he will aspire to equality and justice without regard to race.” (Woodson 6) The core purpose of African American studies is to take back from obscurity that piece of the historical puzzle without which the African American would be amidst an endless identity…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were intelligent men that wanted equality for black Americans, however the paths they wanted to take were polar opposites. Washington was against agitating the South, government, and white people as a whole. Washington believed that the South would not find a better workforce or grateful workers than that of former slaves. He called upon on black and white Americans to ‘cast down your bucket where you are (Washington 25). He wanted black Americans to look for employment in places where they were and already experts, such as in agriculture and servitude positions. Washington wanted white Americans to employ black Americans, thereby assisting the transition from slavery to freedom. Du Bois knew that through the struggles of agitation, black voices would be hear and their words would eventually have to be heeded. According to du Bois, with human nature we do not always make the right choices, and wrong choices can create evil. There are two options, ‘either we must let the evil alone and refuse to hear of it or listen to it or we must try and right it’ (Du Bois 31). An agitator’s job is to fight so that the world will acknowledge to the injustices.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A young African American male born on a large Virginia plantation to a mother who was the cook for the “Big House” and to a father who historians know little of. In the field, he carried the water to the slaves, carried the corn to the mill and carried the books that he longed to read for the slave master’s daughter. After he and his family were freed as slaves, they then moved to West Virginia. He first became intrigued with education when he saw a group gathered around listening to a man who was reading a newspaper. His mom was thrilled about his excitement for education which led her to buy him his first book, Webster’s Blue-Black Speller.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All The Bones

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The African-American heritage has become a very influential part of the American culture of present times. It has a long and troublesome history that leads to fulfilling their “American Dream”; a dream of hard work filled success. This hard work was introduced to the United States initially in the form of slavery. Stories of the trials, tribulations, and hardships of those indoctrinated into slavery can be educational for students of today on many levels.…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Literacy is a fundamental skill that all people, regardless of race or social class, need to develop in order to convey ideas and communicate them intellectually. But two hundred years ago, learning to read and write was not a privilege. During this time, and even today, many factors play a role to determine the difficulty of reaching literacy, such as the time period a person lives in and where he is raised, the color of his skin, and even what determines or denies his basic rights as a human being can restrict his education. Both Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X—African American men who are raised in societies where white men are predominant and where it is challenging for them to find a pathway to education if it is allowed in the first…

    • 1353 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Du Bois’ method toward the problems of African Americans contradicted from Washington’s. Unlike Washington, Du Bois believed in a higher education for African Americans. He thought blacks could not gain status in life without it because Du Bois believed they deserved the same opportunities that whites were given just to be fair. Du Bois disagrees with Washington’s opinions because he believes, “In fact the burden belongs to the nation, and the hands of none of us are clean if we do not all work on fighting great wrongs” (Du Bois). WEB Du Bois believes that African Americans should not be obliged to work so rigorously to be accepted into the community by whites. Instead, they should automatically be welcomed and handled as equals because political rights were already granted to them by the constitution. Du Bois strongly believed that blacks should be given their constitutional authority, rights and an higher education because without those things they will always remain second-class compared to whites. WEB Du Bois’ ideas countered those of Booker T Washington’s but, the ideas of Washington were more realistic and reasonable than those of Du Bois making Washington the stronger advocate for African Americans. With the use of Washington’s Ideas the nation changed because with hard work, blacks were eventually noted as of equal status to whites. This is significant to me because, no matter what race a person is everyone should be treated equally and with respect and I appreciate how Washington believes people should be respected by their skill and…

    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sophia Ald taught Douglas to read, and he believed that would be the greatest gift but it turned out to be the biggest curse, he said “education and slavery are incompatible with each other. ”(Douglass 22). The more Douglass learned, the more he hated slave owners. By robbing the slaves of an education the masters had full control over the slave's minds. Douglass hoped that in the future reading wasn’t a skill only granted to a few, but something universally known.…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    W.E.B Du Bois advocated for the pursuit of a higher education being the main focus for African Americans. However, Booker T Washington supported the idea of vocational institutions and the practicality of job/skill training. More often than not, individuals who decide to go to trade schools instead of pursing careers that require a higher education are looked down upon. They're seen as "taking the easy way out," if you will. But that is simply not the case. This argument can go two ways. One is that many people, African Americans especially in this day and age often do not have access to opportunities that allow them to even attempt to "better themselves" with a higher education (B.A./B.S. or PhD/MD). It is because of this that they are forced into the vocational training route.…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While slavery was ended, there was still harsh racial tension in some areas and in the south where segregation or the ideology of equal but separate was a very relevant issue. African Americans were tormented in the south for making a stand, especially in politics. The segregation caused for the African American youth to grow up with little to no education. What education they did get was not beneficial to their future. Only a few of the wealthier African American children gained an education that meant something and even then they didn’t have much of a spotlight.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    They had to overcome institutional structures like economics education and social before they could attain reach their dreams. As mentioned previously, education was played a major role in the African American community; without education, African Americans would never have a chance at success. Because education opportunities were available predominately for White American, it wasn’t uncommon for African American got live their lives uneducated. Seldom, African Americans who worked exceedingly hard were able to access higher education (Bryan). Since a large number of African Americans lacked a formal education, they were limited to service position such as maid services or factory worker. Because they were limited to certain position, many were unable to surpass a particular socioeconomic class. However, there were rare occasions where African Americans had careers as professionals (Bryan). Aside from education and economic structures, African American dealt with socials structures that created obstacles within their daily lives. It goes without saying that discrimination shaped the experiences of African Americans. Because of the socio-historical foundation of slavery, African Americans were always viewed as inferior to White Americans. Although African Americans dreamed of living the American Dream, they were unable of achieve success because of the establishment of inferiority by…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays