The Souls Of The Black Folk Essay

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“The Souls of Black Folk” Review Written by the popular civil rights activist W.E.B Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk is a series of essays and sketches that proposes the "the problem of the Twentieth Century as the problem of the color-line” and describes “double consciousness”, that is, seeing oneself not only through his or her own eyes but from the perspective of others as well. Throughout the writing, Du Bois is constantly addressing the progression of blacks since the abolishment of slavery, the future of blacks, and the obstacles that must be overcome in order to obtain that future. When compared to the lives of other African Americans during this time period, Du Bois had an advantage in that he was born in the free northern community of Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868, where he was treated as an equal and encouraged to pursue his intellectual interests. As a result, he was able to achieve a high level of education, this being a doctorate at Harvard College, which he was was the first African American to receive. His experience with academic studies led him to believe that he could use his knowledge to empower African Americans, and in 1897, he became a professor of history, sociology, and economics at Atlanta University. Later on, Du Bois also helped found the renowned NAACP. Without a doubt, Du Bois certainly had a unique life considering how most other African American were making a living. In the early parts of his book, Du Bois examines the years immediately following the Civil War and, in particular, the Freedmen's Bureau's role in Reconstruction. The Bureau's failures were not due only to southern opposition and national neglect, but also to poor management and courts that were generally against blacks. The Bureau did have successes, though, one of its most important being the founding of African American schools. Since the end of
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