The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1903-06-13
THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK.

Of prejudice which exists here, really
doubt the existence of souls under black
The wave of color prejudice which has
recently swept over the country, threat
ening the absolute undoing of one-seyenth
of the citizens of this land, by the denial
of their simplest rights and the attempt
now being made by the South to relegate
all AfroAmsrcanS without ut regard to
of practical serfdom makes The Souls OF
Black Folk by Prof. Du Bots. an Afro
American, a graduate of FISK UNIVERSITY
versity Of Berlin and now professor of
economics and history at Atlanta Uni
versity, one of the most striking books In
contemporary literature.
In his forethought the author says,
Herein lie buried many things which,
if read with patience, may s,y IS snow 6,o the ne
the dawning of the twentieth century.
This meaning is not without interest to
you, gentle reader, for the problem of the
twentieth century is the problem OF the
Il pray you, then, receive my little book
in all charity, studying my words with
me, forgiving mistakes and folbles Tor
sake of the faith and passion that is IN
me, and seeking the grain of truth hidden
there.
Il nave sought to sketch on vague, un-
certain outline, the spiritual world in which
ten thousand thousand Americans live and
strive. First, in two chapters have tried
to show what emancipation meant to
them, and what was it's aftermath. In a
| third chapter l.have pointed out the SLOW
candidly the leader, who bears the chlet
burden of his race to-day. Then, in two
| other chapters I have sketched in swift
outline the two worlds within and without
the Veil, and thus have come to the Gen.
trail problem of training men for llte
have in two chapters studied the struggles
antry, and in another have. sought to
make clear the present relations OF the
sons of master and man.
Leaving, then, the world of the white
| ing it that you may view family it's deep
| est recesses-the meaning of it's religion,
| the passion of it's human sorrows, and the
| struggle of it's greater souls.
| Before each chapter stands a bar of
| the sorrow songs-some echo of haunting
| melody from the only American music
| which welled up from black souls in the
dark past. And finally, need | add that |
| flesh of the flesh of them that live within
! the veil?'
Book I. is called "Of Our Spiritual
| Strvings." In it he says:
is ever an unasked question:; unasked by
some through feelings of delicacy; by
others through the difficulty Of rightly
framing it.. All. nevertheless, flutter round
| it. They approach me in a half-hesltant
J sort of way, eye me curiously or compass
| sionately, and them instead Of saying d.
rectly, How does it feel to be a problem
they say, know an excellent colored man
in my town; or, fought at Mechanics
vile; or Do not these Southern Outrages
make your blood boil? At these 1 smile,
or am interested, or reduce the boiling It; to
! To the real question, How does it feel to
| be problem? I answer seldom word
1T is a peculiar sensation, this double
| consciousness, this sense OF always look
! ing at ones self through the eyes of 9TH
| ers, of measuring ones soul by the tape
| of a world that looks on in amused con-
tempt and pity. One ever feels his two
| ness-an American, a Negro; two souls
| two warning ideals in one dark body,
whose logged strength alone keeps 1t
| from being torn asunder.'
| The third essay is criticism of Booker
IT. Washington, full and frank. The au-
| thor says:
Easily the most striking thing in the
| history of the American Negro since 1896
| is the ascendency of Mr.. Booker T. Wash
| ington. It began at the time when war
| memories and ideals were rapidly passing;
a day of astonishing commercial develop,
ment was dawning; a sense OF DOUBT ana
| hesitation overlook the freemen's 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 OF
| having bestowed so much sentiment on
| Negroes, and was concentrating It's ener-
| ges on dollars. His programme OF indus
| trial education, Cancellation OF the South
| and submission and silence as to civil and
| political rights was not wholly original
had striven to build industrial schools,
had from the first taught various trades
| and Price and others had sought way
of honorable alliance with the best OF the
| Southerners. But Mr.. Washington first
indissolubly linked these things; he put
| enthusiasm, unlimited energy, and per-
feet faith into the programmes and chang-
ed it from by-path into a verlta PIE way Sa9
which he did this is fascinating study
| of human life:
! :. After detailing the greatness OF Mr. VT
which he accomplished his aims and gain:
ed the cooperation of both the South anc
| the North, he says:
| And yet this very slngleness OF Nlslo1
and thorough oneness with his age is
mark Of the successful man. 1t Is as
though nature must needs make mer
narrow in order to give them force. Sf
Mr. Washington's cult has gained unques
tioning followers. his work has wonder:
fully prospered. his friends are legion, anc
his enemies are confounded; Today NJ
stands the one recognized spokesman
of his 10000, 900 fellows, and one OF the
most notable figures in nation of 10000,
OoO.'
Then he says that among his own PEG
pie Mr.. Washington has encountered tne
strongest and most lasting opposition
amounting at times to bitterness and tha1
there is among educated and thoughtful
Afro Americans in all parts OF the land
hepsion at the wide currency and ascend.
endy which some of Mr.. Washington
theories have gained. He Continues: :,
Mr. Washington distinctly asks ina
| black people give up. at least for the pres
| ent three things-1, political power; 2
insistence on civil rights; 3. higher educa-
ton of the Negro youth-and concentrate
all their energies on industrial education
| tha accumulation of wealth, and the con-
| Citation of the South. This policy has
! been courageously and 1nslstentiy adVocat-
triumphant for perhaps ten years; AS
| result of this tender of the palm branch
what has been the return? In these years
| there have occurred: 1. The dlstranchlSe-
of a distinct status of civil inferiority fol-
the Negro; 8. The steady withdrawal OF
aid from institutions for the higher train
ing of the Negro.
direct results of Mr.. Washingtons teach
ings, but his propaganda has, without a
shadow of doubt, helped their speediel
| accomplishment The question, then
10, 900. 600 men can make Effective progress
| in economic lines if they are deprived OF
| political rights, made a servile caste, and
| allowed only the most meager chance fol
fieveioping their exceptional men? If his
| tory and reason give any distinct answer
| to these questions it is an emphatic NO;
! And Mr. Washington thus faces the triple
| paradox Of his career. : s.''. -.
| Il. He is striving nobly to make Negro
| artisans business men and property own
! ers, but it is utterly impossible under mod
! ern competitive methods, for wOrklngmen
and property owners to defend their rights
and exist without the right of suffrage.
| "2. He insists on thrift and self-respect,
{ but at the same time counsels a silent
submission to civic inferiority such as is
bound to sap the manhood of any race in
the long run. = rs@z5S -