William Dubois lived 95 years and he was a highly educated intellectual who authored important works in sociology, prose fiction, and essays. He was also a political figure and one of the founding members of the NAACP. One of his first books was about the african slave trade and tackling the belief at the time that whites were superior to blacks.
The right to vote and higher education were important to Dubois for the advancement of African Americans. Dubois pointed out that to be American was to be white and if you were black you were an “African American”.
Black boys growing up at that time were surrounded by confusion according to Dubois. Being oppressed by whites and being told they were inferior were common and yet these oppressed were expected to not revile their oppressors. How can there be any hope in that? I am paraphrasing Dubois here, but I feel this could be one of the points he is trying to convey.
Dubois illustrates the hopelessness at the time for blacks. The work available was not fulfilling and they were viewed as property tenders, never owners. But despite being told they were “less than” they were strong and had an unwavering strength of will.
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