Later life W. E. B. Du Bois

1 later life

1.1 united nations
1.2 cold war
1.3 peace activism
1.4 mccarthyism , trial
1.5 communism
1.6 death in africa

later life

du bois in 1946, photo carl van vechten


united nations

du bois member of three-person delegation naacp attended 1945 conference in san francisco @ united nations established. naacp delegation wanted united nations endorse racial equality , bring end colonial era. push united nations in direction, du bois drafted proposal pronounced [t]he colonial system of government [...] undemocratic, socially dangerous , main cause of wars . naacp proposal received support china, russia , india, virtually ignored other major powers, , naacp proposals not included in united nations charter.

after united nations conference, du bois published color , democracy: colonies , peace, book attacked colonial empires and, in words of 1 reviewer, contains enough dynamite blow whole vicious system whereby have comforted our white souls , lined pockets of generations of free-booting capitalists.

in late 1945, du bois attended fifth, , final, pan-african congress, in manchester, england. congress productive of 5 congresses, , there du bois met kwame nkrumah, future first president of ghana later invite du bois africa.

du bois helped submit petitions un concerning discrimination against african americans, noteworthy of naacp s appeal world: statement on denial of human rights minorities in case of citizens of negro descent in united states of america , appeal united nations redress . advocacy laid foundation later report , petition called charge genocide , submitted in 1951 civil rights congress. charge genocide accuses u.s. of systematically sanctioning murders , inflicting harm against african americans , therefore committing genocide.

cold war

when cold war commenced in mid-1940s, naacp distanced communists, lest funding or reputation suffer. naacp redoubled efforts in 1947 after life magazine published piece arthur schlesinger, jr. claiming naacp heavily influenced communists. ignoring naacp s desires, du bois continued fraternize communist sympathizers such paul robeson, howard fast , shirley graham (his future second wife). du bois wrote not communist [...] on other hand, i [...] believe [...] karl marx [...] put finger squarely upon our difficulties [...] . in 1946, du bois wrote articles giving assessment of soviet union; did not embrace communism , criticized dictatorship. however, felt capitalism responsible poverty , racism, , felt socialism alternative might ameliorate problems. soviets explicitly rejected racial distinctions , class distinctions, leading du bois conclude ussr hopeful country on earth. du bois s association prominent communists made him liability naacp, since fbi starting aggressively investigate communist sympathizers; so – mutual agreement – resigned naacp second time in late 1948. after departing naacp, du bois started writing regularly leftist weekly newspaper national guardian, relationship endure until 1961.

peace activism

du bois lifelong anti-war activist, efforts became more pronounced after world war ii. in 1949, du bois spoke @ scientific , cultural conference world peace in new york: tell you, people of america, dark world on move! wants , have freedom, autonomy , equality. not diverted in these fundamental rights dialectical splitting of political hairs [...] whites may, if will, arm suicide. vast majority of world s peoples march on over them freedom!

in spring of 1949, spoke @ world congress of partisans of peace in paris, saying large crowd: leading new colonial imperialism comes own native land built father s toil , blood, united states. united states great nation; rich grace of god , prosperous hard work of humblest citizens [...] drunk power leading world hell in new colonialism same old human slavery once ruined us; , third world war ruin world. du bois affiliated himself leftist organization, national council of arts, sciences , professions, , traveled moscow representative speak @ all-soviet peace conference in late 1949.

mccarthyism , trial

du bois (center) , other defendants peace information center prepare trial in 1951.

during 1950s, u.s. government s anti-communist mccarthyism campaign targeted du bois because of socialist leanings. historian manning marable characterizes government s treatment of du bois ruthless repression , political assassination .

the fbi began compile file on du bois in 1942, aggressive government attack against du bois occurred in 1950s, consequence of du bois s opposition nuclear weapons. in 1950 du bois became chairman of newly created peace information center (pic), worked publicize stockholm peace appeal in united states. primary purpose of appeal gather signatures on petition, asking governments around world ban nuclear weapons.

the u.s. justice department alleged pic acting agent of foreign state, , required pic register federal government. du bois , other pic leaders refused, , indicted failure register. after indictment, of du bois s associates distanced him, , naacp refused issue statement of support; many labor figures , leftists – including langston hughes – supported du bois.

he tried in 1951 represented civil rights attorney vito marcantonio. case dismissed before jury rendered verdict defense attorney told judge dr. albert einstein has offered appear character witness dr. du bois . du bois s memoir of trial in battle peace. though du bois not convicted, government confiscated du bois s passport , withheld 8 years.

communism

du bois bitterly disappointed many of colleagues – particularly naacp – did not support him during 1951 pic trial, whereas working class whites , blacks supported him enthusiastically. after trial, du bois lived in manhattan, writing , speaking, , continuing associate leftist acquaintances. primary concern world peace, , railed against military actions, such korean war, viewed efforts imperialist whites maintain colored people in submissive state.

du bois meets mao zedong in china in 1959

in 1950, @ age of 82, du bois ran u.s. senator new york on american labor party ticket , received 200,000 votes, or 4% of statewide total. du bois continued believe capitalism primary culprit responsible subjugation of colored people around world, , therefore – although recognized faults of soviet union – continued uphold communism possible solution racial problems. in words of biographer david lewis, du bois did not endorse communism own sake, did because enemies of enemies friends . same ambiguity characterized du bois s opinions of joseph stalin: in 1940 wrote disdainfully of tyrant stalin , when stalin died in 1953, du bois wrote eulogy characterizing stalin simple, calm, , courageous , , lauding him being first [to] set russia on road conquer race prejudice , make 1 nation out of 140 groups without destroying individuality .

the u.s. government prevented du bois attending 1955 bandung conference in indonesia. conference culmination of 40 years of du bois s dreams – meeting of 29 nations africa , asia, many independent, representing of world s colored peoples. conference celebrated independence, nations began assert power non-aligned nations during cold war. in 1958, du bois regained passport, , second wife, shirley graham du bois, traveled around world, visiting russia , china. in both countries celebrated , given guided tours of best aspects of communism. du bois later wrote approvingly of conditions in both countries. 90 years old.

du bois became incensed in 1961 when u.s. supreme court upheld 1950 mccarran act, key piece of mccarthyism legislation required communists register government. demonstrate outrage, joined communist party in october 1961, @ age of 93. around time, wrote: believe in communism. mean communism, planned way of life in production of wealth , work designed building state object highest welfare of people , not merely profit of part.

death in africa

du bois (center) @ 95th birthday party in 1963 in ghana, president kwame nkrumah (right) , first lady fathia nkrumah

ghana invited du bois africa participate in independence celebration in 1957, unable attend because u.s. government had confiscated passport in 1951. 1960 – year of africa  – du bois had recovered passport, , able cross atlantic , celebrate creation of republic of ghana. du bois returned africa in late 1960 attend inauguration of nnamdi azikiwe first african governor of nigeria.

while visiting ghana in 1960, du bois spoke president creation of new encyclopedia of african diaspora, encyclopedia africana. in 1961, ghana notified du bois had appropriated funds support encyclopedia project, , invited du bois come ghana , manage project there. in october 1961, @ age of 93, du bois , wife traveled ghana take residence , commence work on encyclopedia. in 1963, united states refused renew passport, made symbolic gesture of becoming citizen of ghana. while stated renounced u.s. citizenship @ time, , did state intention so, du bois never did. health declined during 2 years in ghana, , died on august 27, 1963, in capital of accra @ age of 95. du bois buried in accra near home, du bois memorial centre. day after death, @ march on washington, speaker roy wilkins asked hundreds of thousands of marchers honor du bois moment of silence. civil rights act of 1964, embodying many of reforms du bois had campaigned entire life, enacted year after death.