Atlanta University W. E. B. Du Bois

1 atlanta university

1.1 first pan-african conference
1.2 booker t. washington , atlanta compromise
1.3 niagara movement
1.4 souls of black folk
1.5 racial violence
1.6 academic work

atlanta university

in july 1897, du bois left philadelphia , took professorship in history , economics @ historically black atlanta university in georgia. first major academic work book philadelphia negro (1899), detailed , comprehensive sociological study of african-american people of philadelphia, based on field work did in 1896–1897. work breakthrough in scholarship, because first scientific study of african americans , major contribution scientific sociology in u.s. in study, du bois coined phrase submerged tenth describe black underclass. later in 1903 popularized term, talented tenth , applied society s elite class. du bois s terminology reflected opinion elite of nation, both black , white, critical achievements in culture , progress. du bois wrote in period in dismissive way of underclass, describing them lazy or unreliable , but – in contrast other scholars – attributed many of societal problems ravages of slavery.

du bois s output @ atlanta university prodigious, in spite of limited budget: produced numerous social science papers , annually hosted atlanta conference of negro problems. du bois received grants u.s. government prepare reports african-american workforce , culture. students considered him brilliant, aloof , strict, teacher.

first pan-african conference

in 1900 du bois attended first pan-african conference, held in london july 23 25. (this before paris exhibition of 1900 allow tourists of african descent attend both events .) organized men caribbean: haitians anténor firmin , bénito sylvain , trinidadian barrister henry sylvester williams. du bois played leading role, drafting letter ( address nations of world ) european leaders appealing them struggle against racism, grant colonies in africa , west indies right self-government , demand political , other rights african americans. time, southern states passing new laws , constitutions disfranchise african americans, exclusion political system lasted 1960s.

at conclusion of conference, delegates unanimously adopted address nations of world , , sent various heads of state people of african descent living , suffering oppression. address implored united states , imperial european nations acknowledge , protect rights of people of african descent , respect integrity , independence of free negro states of abyssinia, liberia, haiti, etc. signed bishop alexander walters (president of pan-african association), canadian rev. henry b. brown (vice-president), williams (general secretary) , du bois (chairman of committee on address). address included du bois s observation, problem of twentieth century problem of colour-line. used again 3 years later in forethought of book, souls of black folk (1903).

booker t. washington , atlanta compromise

w. e. b. du bois in 1904

in first decade of new century, du bois emerged spokesperson race, second booker t. washington. washington director of tuskegee institute in alabama, , wielded tremendous influence within african-american , white communities. washington architect of atlanta compromise, unwritten deal struck in 1895 southern white leaders dominated state governments after reconstruction. agreement provided southern blacks, overwhelmingly lived in rural communities, submit current discrimination, segregation, disenfranchisement, , non-unionized employment; southern whites permit blacks receive basic education, economic opportunities, , justice within legal system; , northern whites invest in southern enterprises , fund black educational charities.

despite sending congratulations washington atlanta exposition speech, du bois later came oppose washington s plan, along many other african americans, including archibald h. grimke, kelly miller, james weldon johnson , paul laurence dunbar – representatives of class of educated blacks du bois later call talented tenth . du bois felt african americans should fight equal rights , higher opportunities, rather passively submit segregation , discrimination of washington s atlanta compromise.

du bois inspired greater activism lynching of sam hose, occurred near atlanta in 1899. hose tortured, burned , hung mob of 2 thousand whites. when walking through atlanta discuss lynching newspaper editor joel chandler harris, du bois encountered hose s burned knuckles in storefront display. episode stunned du bois, , resolved 1 not calm, cool, , detached scientist while negroes lynched, murdered, , starved . du bois realized cure wasn t telling people truth, inducing them act on truth .

in 1901, du bois wrote review critical of washington s autobiography slavery, later expanded , published wider audience essay of mr. booker t. washington , others in souls of black folk. later in life, du bois regretted having been critical of washington in essays. 1 of contrasts between 2 leaders approach education: washington felt african-american schools should focus on industrial education topics such agricultural , mechanical skills, prepare southern blacks opportunities in rural areas lived. du bois felt black schools should focus more on liberal arts , academic curriculum (including classics, arts, , humanities), because liberal arts required develop leadership elite. however, sociologist e. franklin frazier , economists gunnar myrdal , thomas sowell have argued, such disagreement on education minor point of difference between washington , du bois; both men acknowledged importance of form of education other emphasized. sowell has argued that, despite genuine disagreements between 2 leaders, supposed animosity between washington , du bois formed among followers, not between washington , du bois themselves. du bois himself made observation in interview published in atlantic monthly in november 1965.

niagara movement

founders of niagara movement in 1905. du bois in middle row, white hat.

in 1905, du bois , several other african-american civil rights activists – including fredrick l. mcghee, jesse max barber , william monroe trotter – met in canada, near niagara falls. there wrote declaration of principles opposing atlanta compromise, , incorporated niagara movement in 1906. du bois , other niagarites wanted publicize ideals other african americans, black periodicals owned publishers sympathetic washington. du bois bought printing press , started publishing moon illustrated weekly in december 1905. first african-american illustrated weekly, , du bois used attack washington s positions, magazine lasted 8 months. du bois founded , edited vehicle polemics, horizon: journal of color line, debuted in 1907. freeman h. m. murray , lafayette m. hershaw served horizon s co-editors.

the niagarites held second conference in august 1906, in celebration of 100th anniversary of abolitionist john brown s birth, @ west virginia site of brown s raid on harper s ferry. reverdy c. ransom spoke , addressed fact washington s primary goal prepare blacks employment in current society: today, 2 classes of negroes, ... standing @ parting of ways. 1 counsels patient submission our present humiliations , degradations; ... other class believe should not submit being humiliated, degraded, , remanded inferior place ... not believe in bartering manhood sake of gain.

the souls of black folk


title page of second edition of souls of black folk

in effort portray genius , humanity of black race, du bois published souls of black folk (1903), collection of 14 essays. james weldon johnson said book s effect on african americans comparable of uncle tom s cabin. introduction famously proclaimed problem of twentieth century problem of color line . each chapter begins 2 epigraphs – 1 white poet, , 1 black spiritual – demonstrate intellectual , cultural parity between black , white cultures. major theme of work double consciousness faced african americans: being both american , black. unique identity which, according du bois, had been handicap in past, strength in future: henceforth, destiny of race conceived leading neither assimilation nor separatism proud, enduring hyphenation.

jonathon s. kahn in divine discontent: religious imagination of du bois shows how du bois, in souls of black folk, represents exemplary text of pragmatic religious naturalism. on page 12 kahn writes: du bois needs understood african american pragmatic religious naturalist. mean that, du bois american traditional pragmatic religious naturalism, runs through william james, george santayana , john dewey, seeks religion without metaphysical foundations. kahn s interpretation of religious naturalism broad relates specific thinkers. du bois s anti-metaphysical viewpoint places him in sphere of religious naturalism typified william james , others.

racial violence

two calamities in autumn of 1906 shocked african americans, , contributed strengthening support du bois s struggle civil rights prevail on booker t. washington s accommodationism. first, president teddy roosevelt dishonorably discharged 167 black soldiers because accused of crimes result of brownsville affair. many of discharged soldiers had served 20 years , near retirement. second, in september, riots broke out in atlanta, precipitated unfounded allegations of black men assaulting white women. catalyst racial tensions based on job shortage , employers playing black workers against white workers. ten thousand whites rampaged through atlanta, beating every black person find, resulting in on 25 deaths. in aftermath of 1906 violence, du bois urged blacks withdraw support republican party, because republicans roosevelt , william howard taft did not sufficiently support blacks. african americans had been loyal republican party since time of abraham lincoln.

du bois wrote essay, litany @ atlanta , asserted riot demonstrated atlanta compromise failure. despite upholding end of bargain, blacks had failed receive legal justice in south. historian david lewis has written compromise no longer held because white patrician planters, took paternalistic role, had been replaced aggressive businessmen willing pit blacks against whites. these 2 calamities watershed events african-american community, marking ascendancy of du bois s vision of equal rights.

academic work

in addition writing editorials, du bois continued produce scholarly work @ atlanta university. in 1909, after 5 years of effort, published biography of abolitionist john brown. contained many insights, contained factual errors. work criticized nation, owned oswald villard, writing own, competing biography of john brown. du bois s work largely ignored white scholars. after publishing piece in collier s magazine warning of end of white supremacy , du bois had difficulty getting pieces accepted major periodicals. did continue publish columns regularly in horizon magazine.

—du bois, address @ fourth niagara conference , 1908

du bois first african american invited american historical association (aha) present paper @ annual conference. read paper, reconstruction , benefits, astounded audience @ aha s december 1909 conference. paper went against mainstream historical view, promoted dunning school of scholars @ columbia university, reconstruction disaster, caused ineptitude , sloth of blacks. contrary, du bois asserted brief period of african-american leadership in south accomplished 3 important goals: democracy, free public schools, , new social welfare legislation. asserted federal government s failure manage freedmen s bureau, distribute land, , establish educational system, doomed african-american prospects in south. when du bois submitted paper publication few months later in american historical review, asked word negro capitalized. editor, j. franklin jameson, refused, , published paper without capitalization. paper ignored white historians. du bois later developed paper ground-breaking 1935 book, black reconstruction, marshaled extensive facts support assertions. aha did not invite african-american speaker until 1940.