NAACP era W. E. B. Du Bois

1 naacp era

1.1 crisis
1.2 historian , author
1.3 combating racism
1.4 world war i
1.5 after war
1.6 pan-africanism , marcus garvey
1.7 harlem renaissance
1.8 socialism

naacp era

in may 1909, du bois attended national negro conference in new york. meeting led creation of national negro committee, chaired oswald villard, , dedicated campaigning civil rights, equal voting rights, , equal educational opportunities. following spring, in 1910, @ second national negro conference, attendees created national association advancement of colored people (naacp). @ du bois s suggestion, word colored , rather black , used include dark skinned people everywhere . dozens of civil rights supporters, black , white, participated in founding, executive officers white, including mary ovington, charles edward russell, william english walling, , first president, moorfield storey.

the crisis

du bois, c. 1911

naacp leaders offered du bois position of director of publicity , research. accepted job in summer of 1910, , moved new york after resigning atlanta university. primary duty editing naacp s monthly magazine, named crisis. first issue appeared in november 1910, , du bois pronounced aim set out facts , arguments show danger of race prejudice, particularly manifested today toward colored people . journal phenomenally successful, , circulation reach 100,000 in 1920. typical articles in editions included 1 inveighed against dishonesty , parochialism of black churches, , 1 discussed afrocentric origins of egyptian civilization.

an important du bois editorial 1911 helped initiate nationwide push induce federal government outlaw lynching. du bois, employing sarcasm used, commented on lynching in pennsylvania: point black. blackness must punished. blackness crime of crimes ... therefore necessary, every white scoundrel in nation knows, let slip no opportunity of punishing crime of crimes. of course if possible, pretext should great , overwhelming – awful stunning crime, made more horrible reporters imagination. failing this, mere murder, arson, barn burning or impudence may do.

the crisis carried editorials du bois supported ideals of unionized labor excoriated racism demonstrated leaders, systematically excluded blacks membership. du bois supported principles of socialist party (he briefly member of party 1910 1912), denounced racism demonstrated socialist leaders. frustrated republican president taft s failure address widespread lynching, du bois endorsed democratic candidate woodrow wilson in 1912 presidential race, in exchange wilson s promise support black causes.

throughout writings, du bois supported women s rights, found difficult publicly endorse women s right-to-vote movement because leaders of suffragism movement refused support fight against racial injustice. crisis editorial 1913 broached taboo subject of interracial marriage: although du bois expected persons marry within race, viewed problem women s rights issue, because laws prohibited white men marrying black women. du bois wrote [anti-miscegenation] laws leave colored girls absolutely helpless lust of white men. reduces colored women in eyes of law position of dogs. low white girl falls, can compel seducer marry her ... must kill [anti-miscegenation laws] not because anxious marry white men s sisters, because determined white men leave our sisters alone.

during years 1915 , 1916, leaders of naacp – disturbed financial losses @ crisis, , worried inflammatory rhetoric of of essays – attempted oust du bois editorial position. du bois , supporters prevailed, , continued in role editor. in 1919 column titled true brownies , announced creation of brownies book, first magazine published african-american children , youth, founded augustus granville dill , jessie redmon fauset.

historian , author

the 1910s productive time du bois. in 1911 attended first universal races congress in london , published first novel, quest of silver fleece. 2 years later, du bois wrote, produced, , directed pageant stage, star of ethiopia. in 1915, du bois published negro, general history of black africans, , first of kind in english. book rebutted claims of african inferiority, , come serve basis of afrocentric historiography in 20th century. negro predicted unity , solidarity colored people around world, , influenced many supported pan-african movement.

in 1915, atlantic monthly carried essay du bois, african roots of war , consolidated du bois s ideas on capitalism , race. in it, argued scramble africa @ root of world war i. anticipated later communist doctrine, suggesting wealthy capitalists had pacified white workers giving them enough wealth prevent them revolting, , threatening them competition lower-cost labor of colored workers.

combating racism

du bois included photographs of lynching of jesse washington in june 1916 issue of crisis.

du bois used influential role in naacp oppose variety of racist incidents. when silent film birth of nation premiered in 1915, du bois , naacp led fight ban movie, because of racist portrayal of blacks brutish , lustful. fight not successful, , possibly contributed film s fame, publicity drew many new supporters naacp.

the private sector not source of racism: under president wilson, plight of african americans in government jobs suffered. many federal agencies adopted whites-only employment practices, army excluded blacks officer ranks, , immigration service prohibited immigration of persons of african ancestry. du bois wrote editorial in 1914 deploring dismissal of blacks federal posts, , supported william monroe trotter when trotter brusquely confronted wilson wilson s failure fulfill campaign promise of justice blacks.

the crisis continued wage campaign against lynching. in 1915, published article year-by-year tabulation of 2,732 lynchings 1884 1914. april 1916 edition covered group lynching of 6 african americans in lee county, georgia. later in 1916, waco horror article covered lynching of jesse washington, mentally impaired 17-year-old african american. article broke new ground utilizing undercover reporting expose conduct of local whites in waco, texas.

the 20th century era of great migration of blacks southern united states northeast, midwest , west. du bois wrote editorial supporting great migration, because felt blacks escape southern racism, find economic opportunities, , assimilate american society.

also in 1910s american eugenics movement in infancy, , many leading eugenicists openly racist, defining blacks lower race . du bois opposed view unscientific aberration, still maintained basic principle of eugenics: different persons have different inborn characteristics make them more or less suited specific kinds of employment, , encouraging talented members of races procreate better stocks of humanity.

world war i

as united states prepared enter world war in 1917, du bois s colleague in naacp, joel spingarn, established camp train african americans serve officers in united states military. camp controversial, because whites felt blacks not qualified officers, , blacks felt african americans should not participate in considered white man s war. du bois supported spingarn s training camp, disappointed when army forcibly retired 1 of few black officers, charles young, on pretense of ill health. army agreed create 1,000 officer positions blacks, insisted 250 come enlisted men, conditioned taking orders whites, rather independent-minded blacks came camp. on 700,000 blacks enlisted on first day of draft, subject discriminatory conditions prompted vocal protests du bois.

du bois organized 1917 silent parade in new york, protest east st. louis riots.

after east st. louis riots occurred in summer of 1917, du bois traveled st. louis report on riots. between 40 , 250 african americans massacred whites, due resentment caused st. louis industry hiring blacks replace striking white workers. du bois s reporting resulted in article massacre of east st. louis , published in september issue of crisis, contained photographs , interviews detailing violence. historian david levering lewis concluded du bois distorted of facts in order increase propaganda value of article. publicly demonstrate black community s outrage on riots, du bois organized silent parade, march of around 9,000 african americans down new york city s fifth avenue, first parade of kind in new york, , second instance of blacks publicly demonstrating civil rights.

the houston riot of 1917 disturbed du bois , major setback efforts permit african americans become military officers. riot began after houston police arrested , beat 2 black soldiers; in response, on 100 black soldiers took streets of houston , killed 16 whites. military court martial held, , 19 of soldiers hung, , 67 others imprisoned. in spite of houston riot, du bois , others pressed army accept officers trained @ spingarn s camp, resulting in on 600 black officers joining army in october 1917.

federal officials, concerned subversive viewpoints expressed naacp leaders, attempted frighten naacp threatening investigations. du bois not intimidated, , in 1918 predicted world war lead overthrow of european colonial system , liberation of colored people worldwide – in china, in india, , in america. naacp chairman joel spingarn enthusiastic war, , persuaded du bois consider officer s commission in army, contingent on du bois writing editorial repudiating anti-war stance. du bois accepted bargain , wrote pro-war close ranks editorial in june 1918 , thereafter received commission in army. many black leaders, wanted leverage war gain civil rights african americans, criticized du bois sudden reversal. southern officers in du bois s unit objected presence, , commission withdrawn.

after war

when war ended, du bois traveled europe in 1919 attend first pan-african congress , interview african-american soldiers planned book on experiences in world war i. trailed u.s. agents searching evidence of treasonous activities. du bois discovered vast majority of black american soldiers relegated menial labor stevedores , laborers. units armed, , 1 in particular, 92nd division (the buffalo soldiers), engaged in combat. du bois discovered widespread racism in army, , concluded army command discouraged african americans joining army, discredited accomplishments of black soldiers, , promoted bigotry.

du bois documented 1919 red summer race riots. family evacuating house after vandalized in chicago race riot.

after returning europe, du bois more determined ever gain equal rights african americans. black soldiers returning overseas felt new sense of power , worth, , representative of emerging attitude referred new negro. in editorial returning soldiers wrote: but, god of heaven, cowards , jackasses if, war over, not marshal every ounce of our brain , brawn fight sterner, longer, more unbending battle against forces of hell in our own land. many blacks moved northern cities in search of work, , northern white workers resented competition. labor strife 1 of causes of red summer of 1919, horrific series of race riots across america, in on 300 african americans killed in on 30 cities. du bois documented atrocities in pages of crisis, culminating in december publication of gruesome photograph of lynching occurred during omaha, nebraska race riot.

the egregious episode during red summer vicious attack on blacks in elaine, arkansas, in 200 blacks murdered. reports coming out of south blamed blacks, alleging conspiring take on government. infuriated distortions, du bois published letter in new york world, claiming crime black sharecroppers had committed daring challenge white landlords hiring attorney investigate contractual irregularities. on 60 of surviving blacks arrested , tried conspiracy, in case known moore v. dempsey. du bois rallied blacks across america raise funds legal defense, which, 6 years later, resulted in supreme court victory authored oliver wendell holmes. although victory had little immediate impact on justice blacks in south, marked first time federal government used 14th amendment guarantee of due process prevent states shielding mob violence.

darkwater: voices within veil, first edition cover, 1920

in 1920, du bois published darkwater: voices within veil, first of 3 autobiographies write. veil covered colored people around world. in book, hoped lift veil , show white readers life behind veil, , how distorted viewpoints of looking through it – in both directions. book contained du bois s feminist essay, damnation of women , tribute dignity , worth of women, particularly black women.

concerned textbooks used african-american children ignored black history , culture, du bois created monthly children s magazine, brownies book. published in 1920, aimed @ black children, du bois called children of sun .

pan-africanism , marcus garvey

du bois traveled europe in 1921 attend second pan-african congress. assembled black leaders around world issued london resolutions , established pan-african association headquarters in paris. under du bois s guidance, resolutions insisted on racial equality, , africa ruled africans (not, in 1919 congress, consent of africans). du bois restated resolutions of congress in manifesto league of nations, implored newly formed league of nations address labor issues , appoint africans key posts. league took little action on requests.

another important african american leader of 1920s marcus garvey, promoter of back-to-africa movement , founder of universal negro improvement association (unia). garvey denounced du bois s efforts achieve equality through integration, , instead endorsed racial separatism. du bois supported concept of garvey s black star line, shipping company intended facilitate commerce within african diaspora. du bois later became concerned garvey threatening naacp s efforts, leading du bois describe him fraudulent , reckless. responding garvey s slogan africa africans , du bois said supported concept, denounced garvey s intention africa ruled african americans.

du bois wrote series of articles in crisis between 1922 , 1924 attacking garvey s movement, calling him dangerous enemy of negro race in america , world. du bois , garvey never made serious attempt collaborate, , dispute partly rooted in desire of respective organizations (naacp , unia) capture larger portion of available philanthropic funding.

harvard s decision ban blacks dormitories in 1921 decried du bois instance of broad effort in u.s. renew anglo-saxon cult; worship of nordic totem, disfranchisement of negro, jew, irishman, italian, hungarian, asiatic , south sea islander – world rule of nordic white through brute force. when du bois sailed europe in 1923 third pan-african congress, circulation of crisis had declined 60,000 world war high of 100,000, remained preeminent periodical of civil rights movement. president coolidge designated du bois envoy extraordinary liberia and – after third congress concluded – du bois rode german freighter canary islands africa, visiting liberia, sierra leone , senegal.

harlem renaissance

du bois promoted african-american artistic creativity in writings, , when harlem renaissance emerged in mid-1920s, article negro art renaissance celebrated end of long hiatus of blacks creative endeavors. enthusiasm harlem renaissance waned came believe many whites visited harlem voyeurism, not genuine appreciation of black art. du bois insisted artists recognize moral responsibilities, writing black artist first of black artist. concerned black artists not using art promote black causes, saying not care damn art not used propaganda. end of 1926, stopped employing crisis support arts.

socialism

when du bois became editor of crisis magazine in 1911, joined socialist party of america on advice of naacp founders mary ovington, william english walling , charles edward russell. however, supported democrat woodrow wilson in 1912 presidential campaign, breach of rules, , forced resign socialist party. du bois remained: convinced socialism excellent way of life, thought might reached various methods.

nine years after 1917 russian revolution, du bois extended trip europe include visit soviet union. du bois struck poverty , disorganization encountered in soviet union, yet impressed intense labors of officials , recognition given workers. although du bois not yet familiar communist theories of karl marx or vladimir lenin, concluded socialism may better path towards racial equality capitalism.

although du bois endorsed socialist principles, politics strictly pragmatic: in 1929, du bois endorsed democrat jimmy walker mayor of new york, rather socialist norman thomas, believing walker more immediate blacks, though thomas platform more consistent du bois s views. throughout 1920s, du bois , naacp shifted support , forth between republican party , democratic party, induced promises candidates fight lynchings, improve working conditions, or support voting rights in south; invariably, candidates failed deliver on promises.

—du bois, of alexander crummell , in souls of black folk, 1903

a rivalry emerged in 1931 between naacp , communist party, when communists responded , support scottsboro boys, 9 african-american youth arrested in 1931 in alabama rape. du bois , naacp felt case not beneficial cause, chose let communist party organize defense efforts. du bois impressed vast amount of publicity , funds communists devoted partially successful defense effort, , came suspect communists attempting present party african americans better solution naacp. responding criticisms of naacp communist party, du bois wrote articles condemning party, claiming unfairly attacked naacp, , failed appreciate racism in united states. communist leaders, in turn, accused du bois of being class enemy , , claimed naacp leadership isolated elite, disconnected working-class blacks ostensibly fought for.