It's hard for me to imagine, without feeling nervous, Booker T. Washington going up to address thousands of people representing African Americans. The pressure, the stress. How careful he had to be to choose the right words that wouldn't offend or cause controversy. Not to mention his approach: his speech was respectful, discussing the issues wisely, etc. Even W. E. B Du Bois had such a beautiful, intelligent style in The Souls of Black Folk that presented the African American race very well. These men were well educated knowing to express their concerns on civil rights.
I'd have to say Du Bois definitely gave me a good impression. His voice and style are effective in that he is logical, able to emotionally grasp his audience, and he is very intelligent. What really hit me was his question "How does it feel to be a problem?" (533) It's hard to fathom the idea of African Americans being the problem during that era. How could one race be considered the problem? That's degrading. Du Bois goes on to mention, "...being a problem is a strange experience...It is in the early days of rollicking boyhood that the revelation first bursts upon one, all in a day, as it were" (533). Imagine a boy...discovering he was the problem.
However, what can an African American do? It is stressful to be under the watch of the White man knowing you are despised for being Black. But Du Bois says that, "...to attain his place in the world, he must be himself, and not another" (536). Really. One should learn from that kind of attitude. They are despised, but yet they are strong. I wonder what it would be like for Asians or Latinos or any other race to be treated the way African Americans were. What would be their strongest quality? Their persistence? Their strength? Their intelligence?
I really liked your comment about "a boy discovering he was the problem". As a caucasion in the 21st century I cannot imagine what it was like for African-Americans during the 1900's or even in present day. The prejudice that they go through on a daily basis. I think judging others is a huge problem in all societies, not just present day or with whites. People simply look at others and already make up their minds about them--whether that be how they dress, talk, or their physical appearance. I think especially as Christians we must remember that we are not ones to judge because we have a heavenly judge--we must worry about ourselves before we go after others' faults.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy that you set the context of the situation that Du Bois was walking into when he addressed that crowd because I think that it is easy for us reading this in the comfort of the twenty first century to forget what it would have been like for him to walk into a room of people who may or may not have liked the ideas he was proposing. Also to walk into a room of people who may not have even accepted Du Bois for who he was. I think that he dealt with the situation as gracefully as he could in a way that has demanded attention from both white people and african american people.
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