The Souls of Black Folk had a revolutionary impact on American discourse.
First, it gave a context for the failed promise of Reconstruction and placed black life in a global context. Mr. Du Bois wrote against the backdrop of a world where the European powers at the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 "with great gusto" carved up Africa and where America, as a result of the Spanish-American War, strode onto the international stage as an imperial power.
So tightly was the color curtain drawn around black people during what historian Rayford Logan called the "nadir" of black life in the United States that this low point prompted Booker T. Washington to deliver what Mr. Du Bois bitterly termed the "Atlanta Compromise" in 1895. In essence, The Souls of Black Folk was a single candle in the dark -- a testament of hope.
Second, it liberated black scholars, intellectuals and artists: Mr. Du Bois provided them with a grammar for understanding what it means to be black in the United States. In the apt language of Richard Wright, he used "words as a weapon."
His words have become background music for critical thinking: "double-consciousness," "life behind the veil," the beauty and originality of the "sorrow songs" and black religion, the division of the modern world along "the color line," and the need to develop vibrant black educational institutions are but a few of his memorably phrased concepts.
Finally, black and Third World intellectuals bonded with Mr. Du Bois because he put his tremendous intellect to use in improving the quality of life for all in the beloved community. He combined academics and activism to a degree uncommon in American society.
It is appropriate 100 years later to pause and assess the influence of this Old Testament of 20th century African-American letters.
| Go back for the rest of Dolan Hubbard's Baltimore Sun opinion essay "Dubois' power endures" and check out the posted excerpts from "The Souls of Black Folk."
posted in articles on December 26, 2003 9:03 PM | t (0)
« Previous phile: Learn it and be wise. Practice it and be strong.
» Next phile: Kwanzaa, he said, is a holiday for Africans in America.
Return to top of page