The Evolution of the Race Problem by  W.E.B. DuBois Essay Example

The thriving U.S. economy that spurs innovation around the world was built upon the exploitation and systematic segregation of people of color. Despite the fact that slavery was eventually abolished in 1865, the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow has created a racist system where people of color have been continually disenfranchised for centuries. While White America has continued to ignore the vestiges of racism, in “The Evolution of the Race Problem,” W.E.B. DuBois challenges this narrative by questioning “How far is Negro labor lazy and how far is it the listless victim of systematic theft?” [DuBois, 157] Even with the perception of “freedom,” people of color remain oppressed. Therefore, having “justice” and being “liberated” means living in a world where structural factors don’t work against people of color in the economy, criminal justice system, and much more. Progress on these issues will give Black America the tools to fight against a system that has been rigged for centuries. The rise of slave discontentment, the desire for justice, and the fight for economic justice exemplify this shift towards equality. 

In order to justify the greatest American paradox in our recorded history – the fight for freedom and liberty while also preserving the institution of slavery, – rich, white plantation owners spread the notion that White people were superior to people of color on the basis of skin color. Over time, White supremacy became so ingrained in our legal system that free people of color lost crucial rights – the right to vote, bear arms, testify in court, and much more. This shifted the tides to the oppressor and the oppressed, and even the White poor that once fought with people of color against the rich elites during Bacon’s Rebellion started to embrace these new divides. In fact, in his book My Bondage and My Freedom, Frederick Douglass notes that when assaulted, “of course, it was impossible to get any white man to testify against my assailants” [DOUGLASS, 5]. Essentially, it was not just his white “masters” that looked at him with contempt, it was the white workers as well, despite “officially” being of the same status. Douglass implies that any attempt to challenge White supremacy was taboo for more punishment. And while White supremacy denied Black America the chance for full “liberation,” enslaved people took it upon themselves to exact “justice.” Jacqueline Jones notes in her book Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work, and the Family, from Slavery to the Present that enslaved women often engaged in “verbal confrontations and striking the master” [Jones, 20]. Enslaved peoples took the initiative to fight and rebel against the system in hopes of “liberation,” a crucial step in breaking down the structural barriers of White supremacy. 

It was certainly cause to celebrate when slavery was abolished in 1865 during the Civil War. Yet, the Civil War is often seen as a conflict over states’ rights or a Union war, when the picture should be painted as a conflict over slavery. Ironically, the Civil War was a moment when enslaved people had to fight for “liberation” in a war to free themselves from the chains of bondage, and they did not get what they were due in the process. Famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass best paints this picture in his book My Bondage and My Freedom by stating that “this money—my own hard earnings, every cent of it—was demanded of me, and taken from me by Master Hugh” [DOUGLASS, 6]. In a similar vein, Jourdan Anderson sends a letter to his old master, asking for “$11,608.” Anderson and Douglass are at the very least clearly owed the value of how much they worked while enslaved, and it would be just for them to receive that value. Yet, oftentimes, rich, white plantation owners did not give their dues to their former enslaved workers, profiting from the enslaved labor of Black America for, essentially, what was free. Clearly, despite the successful victory of the abolitionist movement, being “liberated” did not fully exact “justice” in the truest sense.

While slavery was abolished, the spread of segregation began to embed racist ideals even further within American systems. Families of color had to live in segregated areas which were oftentimes poorer, had more violence and crime, and worse educational opportunities. In the long run, this meant that people of color were poorer than their White counterparts. While the White narrative looked at the rise in poverty and violence and put the blame on “laziness,” W.E.B. DuBois articulates in “The Evolution of the Race Problem,” that “today especially one may clearly see a repetition, vaster but similar, of the great cycle of the past,” [DuBois, 142] implying that even with “freedom,” the rise in poverty among people of color is a symptom of the past – a racist society that continues to plunder wealth and opportunity from people of color. Therefore, to racial justice advocates such as Martin Luther King Jr., the solution included desegregating populations of color and improving social reform to provide an equal starting ground that will give families of color the opportunity to start saving and generating wealth. This takes the notion of “liberation” one step further – to live in a fully “just” society and be fully “liberated,” people of color must live in a society that provides economic equality, not systemic disenfranchisement. 

From the legacy of slavery till today, the vestiges of racism remain embedded in nearly every single aspect of American society. Therefore, order to have proper justice and be full liberated, people of color need to live in a society where there are same and equal opportunities for everyone. And while this is certainly not the case today, hopefully in the future, governments will take the step to ensure equal opportunity for all – not just some.