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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Reading Rush: A book that starts with "the"
Wow. I did not know much about W.E.B. Du Bois except the fact he was an activist. I did a little research before reading this. By little I mean a 10 minute YouTube video and small article. This man was born right after the slaves were "freed", Jim Crow, The Great Depression, WWI, WWII and the start the the Civil Rights movement in the 60's. Saying this holy crap. He had so much wisdom, he was very intelligent and a lot of what was said in this book is still relevant today. He talks about prisons, education, life in Georgia, and so much more. I really recommend everybody read this. I also enjoyed the small piece of music sheet at the beginning of each chapter.
Wow. I did not know much about W.E.B. Du Bois except the fact he was an activist. I did a little research before reading this. By little I mean a 10 minute YouTube video and small article. This man was born right after the slaves were "freed", Jim Crow, The Great Depression, WWI, WWII and the start the the Civil Rights movement in the 60's. Saying this holy crap. He had so much wisdom, he was very intelligent and a lot of what was said in this book is still relevant today. He talks about prisons, education, life in Georgia, and so much more. I really recommend everybody read this. I also enjoyed the small piece of music sheet at the beginning of each chapter.
Chapter 13 felt out of place as it was confusing to decipher if Du Bois was writing about a real man until the cascade of dialogue made apparent it was fictional. I am not sure if it should have been included in this collection, although it was written well. Other than this odd change in narrative, I would say Du Bois' critique of Booker T. Washington was written with respect and fair criticisms, although I have yet to read Booker's writings. Of course the stark difference in background must have been a reason for the divergence. I could have done without the poems in the beginning of each chapter. The author promoted the university class, in which he was a part of. There is the underlining of the 'talented tenth' needing to learn and bring culture to uplift black people (and the same for white southerners), which is a true way of looking at things on a world scale.
I think Du Bois made a strong case for the need of political and civil rights in order to have the laborers not be taken advantaged of which offsets the class difference that is evident in his writings. Too bad he was a commie.
I think Du Bois made a strong case for the need of political and civil rights in order to have the laborers not be taken advantaged of which offsets the class difference that is evident in his writings. Too bad he was a commie.
I feel like this is one of those books that is so often referred to and quoted that one fees like they maybe read it once. I knew I had read portions, but also knew it was more than worthy of a full read. There are definitely portions that are must reads and are near prophetic. There are also portions that have dwindled in value the further away from the time it was written. As Kendi has rightly shown, DuBois dabbles heavily in internalized oppression and racist beliefs about black folks, and can be heavily assimilationist, but one can see his heart and mind trying to make sense of his state in the world as it was, as it is. W.E.B. DuBois is a foundational voice and we owe so much to his courage with the pen.
Published just after the turn of the last century this book is a collection of essays on the subject of being an African-American in American society at that time. These essays are history, sociology and political science. Combining his own experiences and observations with analysis and the history of the Freedman's Bureau, Jim Crow laws and the impact of religion, education and music on African Americans lives Du Bois writing brings great insight into this period of American History and the struggles of someone with African heritage living in America. I found the writing sometimes hopeful, sometimes angry, sometimes frustrated and sometimes sad but always enlightening and insightful.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Antisemitism