Wednesday, February 07, 2007
W.E.B. Du Bois
Katja
ENGL 48B
Journal # 15, Du Bois
7 February, 2007
"His [Booker T. Washington’s] doctrine has tended to make the whites, North and South, shift the burden of the Negro problem to the Negro’s shoulders and stand aside as critical and rather pessimistic spectators; when in fact the burden belongs to the nation, and the hands of none of us are clean if we bend not our energies to righting these great wrongs." (W.E.B. Du Bois 892)
W.E.B. Du Bois angrily criticizes Booker T. Washington’s "programme" (884) towards progress for African-Americans in the period after Restoration in The Souls of Black Folk.
The text shows the obvious differences between Du Bois and Washington. Du Bois, raised in the North in a wealthy family, was highly educated and had access to many privileges, while Washington, a former slave raised in poverty in the South, had to work incredibly hard to gain an education. I cannot help but feel that Du Bois misses the mark a little bit. He seems to rant a whole lot in rather hard to understand-language. His text is a good example of a true criticism, where one uses every conceivable piece of evidence present in someone else’s work to completely shoot their argument down.
I rather agree with Washinton’s idea that "the Negro problem" (892) was indeed their problem. Why not aim for confidence, self-sufficiency and slow but steady progress? It seems do-able, familiar and inspiring. That is not to say that other members of society should wash their hands of the issue. I do not agree with Du Bois’ notion that not shouldering the problem equals disregard. One could obviously argue for or against either side on this issue, however I think that Du Bois’ and Washington’s conflict may have detracted much needed energy away from actually solving the problem.
Du Bois is right in his argument that "the burden belongs to the nation" (892) which I do not equate with "the Negro problem" (892). The burden seems to envelop a disturbing moral legacy, whereas the problem suggests something more concrete like the day-to-day struggle for survival.
ENGL 48B
Journal # 15, Du Bois
7 February, 2007
"His [Booker T. Washington’s] doctrine has tended to make the whites, North and South, shift the burden of the Negro problem to the Negro’s shoulders and stand aside as critical and rather pessimistic spectators; when in fact the burden belongs to the nation, and the hands of none of us are clean if we bend not our energies to righting these great wrongs." (W.E.B. Du Bois 892)
W.E.B. Du Bois angrily criticizes Booker T. Washington’s "programme" (884) towards progress for African-Americans in the period after Restoration in The Souls of Black Folk.
The text shows the obvious differences between Du Bois and Washington. Du Bois, raised in the North in a wealthy family, was highly educated and had access to many privileges, while Washington, a former slave raised in poverty in the South, had to work incredibly hard to gain an education. I cannot help but feel that Du Bois misses the mark a little bit. He seems to rant a whole lot in rather hard to understand-language. His text is a good example of a true criticism, where one uses every conceivable piece of evidence present in someone else’s work to completely shoot their argument down.
I rather agree with Washinton’s idea that "the Negro problem" (892) was indeed their problem. Why not aim for confidence, self-sufficiency and slow but steady progress? It seems do-able, familiar and inspiring. That is not to say that other members of society should wash their hands of the issue. I do not agree with Du Bois’ notion that not shouldering the problem equals disregard. One could obviously argue for or against either side on this issue, however I think that Du Bois’ and Washington’s conflict may have detracted much needed energy away from actually solving the problem.
Du Bois is right in his argument that "the burden belongs to the nation" (892) which I do not equate with "the Negro problem" (892). The burden seems to envelop a disturbing moral legacy, whereas the problem suggests something more concrete like the day-to-day struggle for survival.
# posted by Katja @ 8:55 AM 
