Monday, February 14, 2011
First Exercise
On Thursday (2/17), we'll be seeing a video-documentary of DuBois's life, entitled: "W.E.B. DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices." After seeing this documentary, I'd like you write a paragraph and post it as a comment on this blog on which ONE of the four segments of DuBois's life you found most interesting and why. In this paragraph you want to refer to some of what you saw and heard in the video, as well as make a case for why you believe it was the most interesting. This exercise is worth 5 activity points, and I'd like you to post your comments NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, FEB.25TH.
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I found the fourth segement of DuBois' life most interesting because it shows how quickly people turned against him. He was accused of being a communist and eventually did join the Communist Party USA in 1961. The government turned against him and he was indicted. His friends turned against him and his books were even taken out of some libraries. The government put restrictions on his pass port and prohibited him from traveling. DuBois eventually moved to Ghana and remained there until he died at age 95.
ReplyDeletePreston Roseboro
The third segment was most interesting to me for the simple fact that his conflict with Marcus Garvey clearly paralled with his previous conflict with Booker T. Washington. Both of these disputes were a result of Dubois’s integrative mindset juxtaposed with the more “separate but equal” ideas. The argument this time, with Garvey, became much more personal. It showed a real side of Dubois that had not been present before. He was not only attacking the Plessy v. Ferguson idea but he was also attacking the “ugly, fat black man with intelligent eyes” who was perpetuating this idea.
ReplyDelete-Cameron Kimber
In the first section of the documentary “W.E.B. Dubois: A biography in Four Voices”, writer Wesley Brown talks about W.E.B Dubois’s contribution to “The American Negro” exhibit at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. This information was interesting to me because although I have heard a lot about the 1900 Paris Exhibition in the past, I cannot recall every hearing about an exhibition showcasing the accomplishments of blacks. By depicting the huge strides that blacks had made since their recent emancipation, Dubois brought international attention to the condition of blacks in America. Thus, it is probable that Dubois hoped that “The American Negro” exhibit would not only challenged inferior characterizations of blacks but that it would also garner support for the advancement of blacks in America.
ReplyDelete-Tramaine
I found Part Three the most interesting because I saw it as a huge transition for DuBois despite the fact that it was so late in his life. DuBois came to a major crossroads when he turned towards the NAACP anticipating relief expansion and instead what he received was confrontation. With this, he resigned and retreated back to Atlanta where he was on a mission to train others for intellectual self-determination. This seemed so groundbreaking because it was an honest effort to really compile African thought and the current state of black America. DuBois wanted to use his position at Atlanta University to promote African intellect. But despite this effort with several publications and research endeavors, he found himself unemployed. Talk about down and out. Many would give up at this point but DuBois saw a bigger picture. And with that he focused his activism towards the international level. This to me is the most inspiring because during a time when it is easy to focus solely on national forms of racism and oppression, DuBois made it a point to have an anti-colonial mission. With his involvement on the Council of African Affairs, DuBois would seek to raise global awareness on the devastating effects of white control over Africans.
ReplyDelete-Sarah
My favorite segment was the first. I feel that much of DuBois' work was tied up in political mess, and the first segment was more focused on his ideology. It also explores in a way that the other segments don't, the context of his early work, in particular the condition of black Americans under Jim Crow laws, and how that related to legal and social movements that DuBois was a part of. Plessy vs. Ferguson, the video implies, in its effort to keep blacks and whites divided, was a predecessor to Washington's educational approach in dividing work along the color line. This section does an exceptional job of painting a historical backdrop for DuBois' work.
ReplyDeleteI found the second part of the film to be the most interesting. I loathe the fact that Du Bois was deceived by the government of the United States during World War I. He was made to believe that if he encouraged African-American men to fight for the cause, then they would be given full and equal rights upon their return. Unfortunately, however, African-Americans men returned to highly hostile racial climate that resulted in a number of race riots, constant public humiliation, and lynchings. But instead of choosing to remain silent about such an injustice, Du Bois expressed his disgust with the US government, which took a great deal of courage. I was also fascinated by the rivalry between Du Bois and Marcus Garvey. To me, there is no question that Du Bois's methods for the uplifting of a race were far superior to the strategies proposed by either Washington or Garvey. But despite this reality, it seems that Garvey, like Washington, was given a lot more attention than Du Bois from the majority of the African-American community. Du Bois wanted African-Americans to realize that they were more than just "black" (I'm starting to hate that word used in this context) because the term itself had (and still has) a number of negative connotations associated with it. But, as is true today, African-Americans (not all) are still unable to overcome their fear of being more than just what society tells them that they are. Though it was a serious disappointment, I am not surprised that Garvey, who allowed African-Americans to hold on to their fervent misconceptions, had relatively more success and popularity amongst the the majority African-Americans.
ReplyDeleteAs far as actually impacting his career and future, I found the first section of the movie most interesting, simply because it gave insight into the things that drove him into the field that he chose to pursue in life. Had Du Bois not had the background described in the first section, he most likely would not have accomplished as much in his life as he did. In general, though the fourth section was most interesting to me. It was frustrating to watch the controversy that surrounded Du Bois in his later years and see that everyone was turning their back on a man who had done and accomplished so much. Even though that frustrated me, I enjoyed seeing Du Bois' form of retribution. The fact that he became a member of the communist party, then left the country was kind of funny to me. I felt that he was able to show his independence and ability to think and act on his own accord rather than what was expected or pushed by society, and he got the last laugh.
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