The Talented Tenth Speech Analysis

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The talented tenth was an article written in 1903 by W.E.B. Du Bois. It was about the efforts of the American Baptist Missionary Home Society trying to start black colleges which would train African American teachers. W.E.B Du Bois fought for civil rights for black people in the United States. During the nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties, he was the person most responsible for the changes in conditions for black people in American society. He also was responsible for changes in the way they viewed themselves. The Talented Tenth was a speech to classify and explain the role of the ‘talented ten percentile’ of the blacks in relation to their evolvement. It helps show the situation and the need for improvement. Dubois suggests that…show more content…
I think that he felt that if African Americans were well educated then race would not be such a big factor. Education is power. I believe that he felt that if he could get people to educate themselves and other then African American would be view better in society. I do feel that as of today’s society black communities have a “talented tenth.” There are many black communities that have early child hood programs and other recreational programs to educated young black children. Also in many school systems there are opportunities for young blacks to take on leadership. In colleges there are black student unions and many organizations that are involved in uplifting the black communities. In today’s society we have Historical Black Colleges that are there to help prepare African American for society and…show more content…
Washington focused on having education for real life jobs and not asking for equality from the whites. He just focused on getting help from the whites and accepting their place as blacks on earth. W.E.B Dubois focused on the exact opposite things that of Booker T. Washington. Dubois focused on a strategy called the gradualist political strategy. The gradualist political strategy tells that Dubois was very focused on blacks being book smart to get anywhere in life. With academic education you can better educate yourself on your traded skill. These two have the potential of going hand in hand. I fell that over all academic education is more secure. You can be flexible with a degree and work a possible variety of jobs. With a trade you are taught to work within one subject so there for in the long run there is no variety and your education is limited. W.E.B Du Bois never saw the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the age of affirmative action, which provided exceptional opportunities for African Americans. Du Bois died before the growth of the largest African American middle class in history. He also died long before the invention of black women's studies. It is our responsibility as African American to keep pushing his positive vision and not to be afraid to go back to our communities and lead a helping hand. Only we can up lift our people and if we don’t do it simply won’t be done. We have to educate ourselves and keep moving
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