The Appeal., 1903-06-27
THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK,

centage of the Caucasian people, in the
.4,1.l. o.ates, II vIie JdueeS ~, the sp4it
OF prejudice which exists: here really
DOUBT the existence of souls under black
or cOlored skins. - *. -s5..
The wave of color prejudice which has
recently SWEPT over ineo country, Try eIth tnreat1
~ ,the citzers of this land. by the denial
Of their simplest rights, and the attempt
now being made by the South to relesate
character and Intelligence, to condition
of practical serfdom, makes The Souls OF
Black Folk by Prof. Du Bois; an n AFRO AFRO
of Harvard University and Of the Uni.
versity Of Berlin and now professor OF
economics and history at Atlanta Uni
versity, one of the most striking books IN
contemporary literature. t..4.. r.
In his forethought the author says.
Herein lie buried many things which,
if read with patiehhce, may sc shG% 6ere '1e ne
the dawning Of the twentieth century:
This meaning is not without interest 10
you, gentle reader, for the problem OF OF me ti1
twentieth century is the problem OF the
II pray you, then, receive my little book
in all charity, studying my words with
me, forgiving mistakes and foibles for
sake Of the faith and passion that is IN
me, and seeking the grain of truth hidden
there. - 49,
IT nave sought to sketch on vague. un-
certain outline. the spiritual world IN whlcn
strive. First, in two chapters, have tried
! to show what emancipation meant to
them, and what was it's aftermath IN a
| rise of personal leadership, and criticised
| candidly the leader, who bears the chief
burden of his race to-day. Then, IN Two
! outline the two worlds within and without
| the veil, and thus have come to the GEN.
tral problem of training men Tor M1e: re-, od 1
in two chaptmfs 10 f%e the Sack
antry, and in another have sougRt 10 10
make clear the present relations OF the
sons of master and man. ,,:4o
Leaving, then the world of the White
! man, have stepped within the ven, falS-
! ing it that you may view family its deep
est recesses-the meaning of its religion,
| the passion Of it's human sorrows, ana the
| struggle Of it's greater souls
| Before each chapter stands bar OF
| the sorrow songs-sOme echo OF haunting
| melody from the only American MUSIC
| which welled up from black sous IN tne
! dark past. And finally, need I add that !
who speak here am bone of the bone and
| flesh Of the flesh of them that live WITHIN
| the veil?''
Book 1. is called "of Our Spiritual
BETWEEN | me and the other world there
| is ever an unasked question:; unasked py
some through feelings of deltcacy; 1y
others through the dlfhculty OF r1gm,,S rennS
| it,. They approach me in a. haf-hesltan'
! SORT of Wav. eve me curiously or compass
sionately, and then, instead of saying oil,
| they say, I know an excellent colored man
| in my town; or, I fought at Mechanics
ville or, Do not these Southern outrages
make your blood boil? At these smile
or am interested, or reduce the boiling tc
a simmer as the occasion may require
TO the real question, How does it feel tt
be problem? answer seldom "a W1rG %n,eh,e.
consciousness this sense OF always look'
ing at ones self through the eyes OF oth,
ers, of measuring ones soul by the tape
tempt and pity. One ever feels his two.
ness-an American, a Negro; two SOUS
two thoughts, two unreconciled strlVlngs
two warning ideals in one dark body
whose dogged strength alone keeps il
from being torn asunder.'
The third essay is criticism of Booker
T. Washington, full and frank. The au
thor says:
Easily the most striking thing in tn tn
h; h; Of the American Negro since 1871
ington It began at the time when wal
memories and ideals were rapidly passing
day of astonishing commercial develop
hesitation l overlook the freemens sons
then it was his leading began. Mr.. Wash
ington came, with simple, definite pro
gramme, at the psychological moment
| when the nation was a little ashamed
having bestowed SO much sentiment OF
Negroes, and was concentrating its ener
| gies on dollars. His programme OF lndus
| trial education, conciliation OF the Soutl
and submission and silence as to civil an.
| political rights, was not wholly original
the free Negroes from 1881 up TO war I'M I'M
had striven to build industrial sscnoois
and the American Missionary association
had from the first taught various trades
and Price and others had sought wa!
| of honorable alliance with the best OF Tn
southerneIs But Mr.: so washington fhi3gs he S nn
| enthusiasm, unlimited energy, ana per
feet faith into the programme ana Lcnang
| ed it from by-path INTO q verltaole "a; q
| IF life And the tale Of the methOps o:
which he did this is a fascinating STUD;
| Of human life
VI After detailing the greatness Of MI Nj
E taTk ana his tdG aims and gain
cd the cooperation of both the South an
the North. he says:
Ana yet this very snglsneS's 's OF ~ ylSlo 81
mark of the successful man. 1t is a
though nature must needs make me-
| narrow in order to give them force .
Mr. Washington.s cult mas galneo 1a 1l,1deS ungdes
! fully prospered his friends are legion, an
his enemies are confounded Ioday n
stands as the one recognized spokesslttah s ID
| of his 10 900, 900 fellows, and one or IN
most notable figures in nation OF 'o'ooo'
| 000.'' -. o
Then he says that among his own peo
PIE Mr.. Washington has : sncountereGi+ si+; I'm IN
| Strongest and most lasting oppos1tloh
amounting at times to bitterness ana ina
there is among educated and thougnt1u
| Afro o-Americans in all parts OF the lano
!: feeling of deep regret, sorrow, ana appre
hension at the wide currency and ascend
ency which some of Mr., Washington
theories have gained. He Continues:
Mr.. Washington distinctly " ASKS sasa ntaa tlla
black people give up. at least Tor the pres
ent, three things. political power;
! insistence on civil rights; g. higher educa
ton of the Negro youth-and concenti;att
dive fri
the accumulation of wealth. and the con
Citation of the South. This policy has
been courageously and insistently advocat.
ed for over fifteen years 81 ana Ma,r mas ssef
result of this tender Of the PAIN prancll
what has been the return? In these years
there have occurred: 1. The dlsiranchlse.
Of a distinct Status of civil inferiority, TO,
the Negro; 3. The steady WlthdraWal -: "
aid from institutions for the higher tram
ing of the Negro. s - =, -
| ..These movements are not, to be sure
direct results Of Mr.. Washington s teacn-
! ings. but his propaganda has, Wlthou1
shadow of doubt, helped their spee1dlel
accomplishment. The questiSoni. uSai,o tteat tbat
| comes: Is it possible. and probable, Ina! ina.
10. 900, 900 men can make effective progress
| in economic lines if they are deprived oi
| political rights, made a servile caste, ano M
allowed only the most meager aIs Gnanf - his. is.
! tory and reason give any dlstinct amSM S1 Mei :;
to these questions it is an emphatic No NO
! And Mr.. Washington thus faces ttne tiipie
! paradox of his career. ~ IL
Il. He is striving nobly to make Negau l
artisans business men and PropeIIy C ,,,ad uMd- =
| ers. but it is utterly impossible under ..nr lou
ern competitive methods, for Workingm,gtn g,ot1
| and property owners to defend their rights
and exist without the right Of sunragec
80 He insists on thrift and sen-resRIeGafi sEIenf
| but at the same time counseis q ais sneHs =;
| Submission to civic inferiority such as rs rs
! bound to sap the manhood OF any race N "a