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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
i read essays 1 and 14 for my sociology course, so I did not read in its entirety, but I hope to in the near future and update my full feelings. but considering its impact sociologically and culturally, it is remarkable piece, and also I feel like the language is very accessible as its written in more of a narrative format
This book wasn't an easy read. I had to sit and concentrate. That's not typical for me. It wasn't easy subject matter, either. It was well worth the effort. I agree with a friend of mine who said that she wished this had been required reading in high school.
Definitely see why this is a classic. As a historical document this is really fascinating albeit very redundant.
As a present say living Black woman I disagree with him PROFOUNDLY on several matters. But such is the nature of having lived in the U.S. and seeing things Du bois never did.
As a present say living Black woman I disagree with him PROFOUNDLY on several matters. But such is the nature of having lived in the U.S. and seeing things Du bois never did.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
**SPOILERS**
I could read this book again. A good bit of why black people are in the financial situation they are in now can be linked back to how the Freedman's Bureau funds were mishandled and fraud was rampant. It wasn't bad enough that the formerly enslaved were uneducated, unorganized and not really sure of where to go to start anew, but the country that their ancestors were dragged to took whatever they scrounged up for themselves, often right out of their mouths... then beat them if they complained.
DuBois much more accurately described the plight of black folks than Booker T. Washington. Where as Washington painted the picture that all a black person had to do was keep quiet, work extremely hard and know his subservient place, things would be fine for him. DuBois made no bones about his disagreement with Washington's blurred vision on the conditions of the black community. If I were to choose Team Washington or Team DuBois... I'd be Team DuBois all day.
DuBois way of writing is poetic all throughout. The chapter about his son passing was as beautifully written as it was heart-wrenchingly sad. His anguish caused him to question why, in a world full of suffering and struggle, would God lay this further burden at his feet?
There are so many stories and accounts listed in this book that paints a much more true picture of black folks and how we came to where we are today. The chapter about religion... eye opening for sure.
I highly recommend reading this book!!
I could read this book again. A good bit of why black people are in the financial situation they are in now can be linked back to how the Freedman's Bureau funds were mishandled and fraud was rampant. It wasn't bad enough that the formerly enslaved were uneducated, unorganized and not really sure of where to go to start anew, but the country that their ancestors were dragged to took whatever they scrounged up for themselves, often right out of their mouths... then beat them if they complained.
DuBois much more accurately described the plight of black folks than Booker T. Washington. Where as Washington painted the picture that all a black person had to do was keep quiet, work extremely hard and know his subservient place, things would be fine for him. DuBois made no bones about his disagreement with Washington's blurred vision on the conditions of the black community. If I were to choose Team Washington or Team DuBois... I'd be Team DuBois all day.
DuBois way of writing is poetic all throughout. The chapter about his son passing was as beautifully written as it was heart-wrenchingly sad. His anguish caused him to question why, in a world full of suffering and struggle, would God lay this further burden at his feet?
There are so many stories and accounts listed in this book that paints a much more true picture of black folks and how we came to where we are today. The chapter about religion... eye opening for sure.
I highly recommend reading this book!!
No rating for this one for many fairly obvious reasons.
Made me realize just how little the Canadian/BC social studies curriculum taught me about slavery and emancipation - as in really NOTHING AT ALL. It’s really preposterous that anyone living in North America shouldn’t know this history. And it’s really no wonder that Black erasure and invisibility is so prevalent in Canada especially - we don’t even know what historic and ongoing anti-Black racism is happening in our own cities and neighborhoods. Obviously Dubois doesn’t discuss the migrations and settlements of Black people across Canada in this book, but it’s an important part of Canadian and North American history that should be known to communities that might otherwise not realize the direct connection between abolition and anti-Black segregation, racism, and other forms of systemic racism in Canada since.
The book is mostly a history and lives of Black people after the abolition of slavery. Dubois gives both a systemic history (Freedman’s Bureau, 15th amendment, other administrations and policies of abolition, etc.) as well as some very personal accounts from himself and other individuals who lived through this period and it’s aftermath. He argues very strongly for Black education - on money and personal finances and to expand opportunity overall to build the foundation for a self-determined Black civilization in America. He also describes and moralizes a lot on the present shortcomings of Black people due to centuries of enslavement and disenfranchisement - this is the part where I kind of take issue. Dubois really puts a lot of emphasis on Black individuals to be industrious and morally upright, going so far as to condemn the “idle” and those contributing to high rates of Black crime. As someone who has unwittingly but undeniably absorbed a Marxist framework in her political thought through her humanities education and leftist Tumblr/Twitter feeds, I really believe the real target should be the systems and not the individuals.
I also get the sense that he wrote this for a white audience? Just in that he very carefully, meticulously describes the historic and systemic oppressions of Black people in the U.S. which are so deeply engrained they are overwhelming to redress. So much of what he describes of the conditions of Black communities and life in the 19th century rings eerily true for the present moment and the calls to action from the Black Lives Matter movement. He references for instance the establishment of police specifically to police the Black population.
Anyways I read this as an audiobook because it was available on Libby right away and I was done making excuses for myself NOT to read seminal texts by Black authors and figured this was as good a place to start as any. Caution though - Dubois writes in pretty hefty language so if you’re not into that or older histories, I’d suggest prioritizing contemporary writers/books instead.
Made me realize just how little the Canadian/BC social studies curriculum taught me about slavery and emancipation - as in really NOTHING AT ALL. It’s really preposterous that anyone living in North America shouldn’t know this history. And it’s really no wonder that Black erasure and invisibility is so prevalent in Canada especially - we don’t even know what historic and ongoing anti-Black racism is happening in our own cities and neighborhoods. Obviously Dubois doesn’t discuss the migrations and settlements of Black people across Canada in this book, but it’s an important part of Canadian and North American history that should be known to communities that might otherwise not realize the direct connection between abolition and anti-Black segregation, racism, and other forms of systemic racism in Canada since.
The book is mostly a history and lives of Black people after the abolition of slavery. Dubois gives both a systemic history (Freedman’s Bureau, 15th amendment, other administrations and policies of abolition, etc.) as well as some very personal accounts from himself and other individuals who lived through this period and it’s aftermath. He argues very strongly for Black education - on money and personal finances and to expand opportunity overall to build the foundation for a self-determined Black civilization in America. He also describes and moralizes a lot on the present shortcomings of Black people due to centuries of enslavement and disenfranchisement - this is the part where I kind of take issue. Dubois really puts a lot of emphasis on Black individuals to be industrious and morally upright, going so far as to condemn the “idle” and those contributing to high rates of Black crime. As someone who has unwittingly but undeniably absorbed a Marxist framework in her political thought through her humanities education and leftist Tumblr/Twitter feeds, I really believe the real target should be the systems and not the individuals.
I also get the sense that he wrote this for a white audience? Just in that he very carefully, meticulously describes the historic and systemic oppressions of Black people in the U.S. which are so deeply engrained they are overwhelming to redress. So much of what he describes of the conditions of Black communities and life in the 19th century rings eerily true for the present moment and the calls to action from the Black Lives Matter movement. He references for instance the establishment of police specifically to police the Black population.
Anyways I read this as an audiobook because it was available on Libby right away and I was done making excuses for myself NOT to read seminal texts by Black authors and figured this was as good a place to start as any. Caution though - Dubois writes in pretty hefty language so if you’re not into that or older histories, I’d suggest prioritizing contemporary writers/books instead.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
This should be a must read in every high school, at the very least in United States. Not that it is not relevant to other countries and cultures. This book is beyond needing a review. So I will just leave it here.