The Souls of Black Folks

Paper Summary:

This paper relates Du Bois's work to the topic of black religious leaders and their role as protesters for black rights. In the black community, religion has always led the way. The paper explains how religion has continually been a means of survival, advancement, and it has aided in the creation of strong African American character since the beginnings of African life in the U.S. It asks why, in 2003, qualified blacks who have more liberal thoughts to share would be less desirable to represent black protests/movements than, perhaps, a distinguished black preacher?

From the Paper:

"W.E.B. Du Bois was one of America's premier black writers. He wrote about being black in America before it was fashionable, and he did it to bring home the plight of Black Americans to white readers. African-Americans were emancipated, but they were still second-class citizens in a white world. They continually faced racism and hatred from whites, while desperately attempting to fit into white society. Many critics consider W. E. B. Du Bois to be one of the most influential African-Americans to work and write before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Written in 1903, "The Souls of Black Folks" has become a classic in African-American non-fiction. The author is determined to show white people the problems and racism African-Americans faced in America at the turn of the 20th century. It his here that his writing relates directly to the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s, and how so many religious leaders became symbols and active members of the movement, especially when he opens his work with the question "How does it feel to be a problem?" (Du Bois). His question poses the crux of the matter for black people; really, because they have always been a "problem" to the white race in one way or another, and their history shows that about the only way they have ever achieved anything is through protest and revolt. Religion has always been a key factor in black life, and Du Bois acknowledges its importance in his work."

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