Take a photo of a barcode or cover
hi_its_erinnicole 's review for:
The Souls of Black Folk
by W.E.B. Du Bois
[read as part of #10books10decades]
I didn't exactly DNF this but I did skim more than I would like. Obviously, Du Bois is one of the most important writers of the 20th century and the impact of his work is unparalleled. What was challenging for me was the way he talked about poor Black people. Describing them as "dull-eyed," "lazy," "bland," etc. without a clear analysis into his own biases (who prides education over everything) and/or why they may be perceived this way (for example, if I was getting pennies for essentially share-cropping I too would be pretty lazy because that sounds terrible!). This tone is in direct alignment with Du Bois ideas regarding the Talent Tenth, in which he posits that Black liberation should be left up to the most intelligent amongst Black folk and everyone else should fall in line. Of course that brings up a whole host of questions such as: who's deciding the definition of "Talent"? Is book learning the only way to be smart? And why are we honoring certain areas of expertise over others? Also, how do Black women fit into all of this...because I have a hunch....there may be some gatekeeping at the door of that particular party.
If nothing else, this is very thought-provoking work.
PS his shade towards Booker T. Washington is iconic and a master class in scholarly fisticuffs.
I didn't exactly DNF this but I did skim more than I would like. Obviously, Du Bois is one of the most important writers of the 20th century and the impact of his work is unparalleled. What was challenging for me was the way he talked about poor Black people. Describing them as "dull-eyed," "lazy," "bland," etc. without a clear analysis into his own biases (who prides education over everything) and/or why they may be perceived this way (for example, if I was getting pennies for essentially share-cropping I too would be pretty lazy because that sounds terrible!). This tone is in direct alignment with Du Bois ideas regarding the Talent Tenth, in which he posits that Black liberation should be left up to the most intelligent amongst Black folk and everyone else should fall in line. Of course that brings up a whole host of questions such as: who's deciding the definition of "Talent"? Is book learning the only way to be smart? And why are we honoring certain areas of expertise over others? Also, how do Black women fit into all of this...because I have a hunch....there may be some gatekeeping at the door of that particular party.
If nothing else, this is very thought-provoking work.
PS his shade towards Booker T. Washington is iconic and a master class in scholarly fisticuffs.