The Soul of Black Folks

W.E.B Du Bois is, without a doubt, one of the most profound African American intellectuals of the twentieth century. He was a fearless activist determined to confront the social, political, and economical injustices of his African American race. Du Bois would soon emerge as the most significant African American leader in America during the first half of the twentieth century. But with all of his intellect and advocacy for blacks, one has to question whether his leadership style approach would be relevant in our communities today? Let us examine this question or thought a little bit further by looking at Chapter 3: The Souls of Black Folk (1903).

One of Du Bois greatest criticism of Booker T Washington in his book The Soul of Black Folk was that he felt that Mr. Washington was asking blacks to take a step backward and accommodate white supremacy. In Chapter 3, Du Bois spoke about the triple paradox that Washington faced in his career. The second paradox states, "Mr. Washington insists on thrift and self-respect, but at the same time counsels a silent submission to civic inferiority such as is bound to sap the manhood of any race in the long run" (The Souls of Black Folk 1903: Chapter III p.37). As I look at the Black community, as it currently stands, I see progress on one hand and I also see no movement on the other hand. What really concerns me from a leadership standpoint, mostly, is that middle-class blacks are not quick to come out and speak up for their community. Blacks are still afraid to "ruffle the feathers" so to speak. Black leaders are not consistently speaking out for the issues that are plaguing our very community today. The issues of broken family units, the rise of the lower-class people and the continuous unevenness of earning capacity are things that the African American community is still battling with today. The persistence of serious social problems in inner-city areas has led to a tragic perpetuation of racial prejudice, and to talk of a permanent African-American "underclass."

The civil rights movement led to legislation that gave greater protection to the rights of minorities. It had also greatly changed the role of the judiciary in U.S. government, as the Supreme Court had become more active in its defense of individual rights, often in response to litigation and demonstrations initiated by those in the movement. In this respect, the Court and the civil rights movement had great influence on each other, with each reacting to and encouraging the efforts of the other. Likewise, the federal government had, even if hesitatingly, enforced the rights of a persecuted minority in the face of vigorous opposition from the southern states (Blumberg, Rhoda L. 1984. Civil Rights: The 1960s Freedom Struggle).

American race relations in the early twentieth century didn't always offer the platform to speak out about issues in a manner that wouldn't return hate crimes and