The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B Dubois Book Report Example

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B Dubois was published in 1903 by the publishing company A.C McClurg and Co. In the book, Dubois uses his findings to develop three main arguments:

Education is necessary not only to advance the black population but the South as well.

The emancipation proclamation did not mean freedom for black folks.

Relationships between white and black people in the South played a huge role in why the South could not advance.

This book filled with his argument and findings is so that white southerners can see and understand black people not as a group of people that is lesser than others but as a group of people that is human. I interpreted this book as a way of Dubois saying yes, the Negro people have struggles and limitations, but they can learn and grow like any other human. While using his thoughts, arguments, and statistics to convey this message, he calls out white southerners to reflect on their racist behaviors and how they have caused many of the struggles and limitations African Americans might have had at that time.

Throughout this book, Dubois speaks a lot about education and its importance for advancing Black people in the South. He believed that denying black people education did not only affect the advancement of black communities but white ones as well. Throughout the book, we see that education is extremely important to Dubois. Even when pointing out the many flaws in the freedman's Bureau, he said that establishing schools was the best thing the freedman's Bureau did for Negro communities. When giving his opinions on the advancement of the South, he stated, "No secure civilization can be built in the South with the Negro as an ignorant, turbulent proletariat" (Dubois pg 66). He also points out that education is a good way to keep the peace between the black and white population: We ought not to forget that despite the pressures of poverty, and Despite that active discouragement, and even ridicule of friends, the demand for higher training steadily increases among the Negro youth there were, in the years from 1875 to 188022 negro graduates from the northern colleges; From 1885 to 1890 there were 43, and from 1895 to 1900, nearly 100 graduates. From southern negro colleges there were, in the same three periods, 100 and 43 413 in over 500 graduates. Here, then, is the plain thirst for training; by refusing to give this talented 10th the key to knowledge, can any sane man imagine what they will likely lay aside their yearning and contentedly become hewers of wood and drawers of water" (Dubois 67) When responding to the question he asks at the end of the paragraph he gives the readers his thoughts and states; "No. The dangerously clear logic of the Negroes Position will increasingly loudly assert itself in that day when increasing wealth and more intricate social organization preclude the South from being, as it so largely is, simply an armed camp for intimidating Black Folk. "Such waste of energy cannot be spared if the South is to catch up with civilization at the black third of the land grows in Thrift and skilled unless skillfully guide and its larger philosophy, it must more and more brood over the red past and the creeping crooked present until they grasp a gospel of revolt and revenge and throws its newfound energies athwart the current advance. Even today, the masses of the Negroes see all too clearly the anomalies of their position and your moral crookedness" (Dubois 67). Towards the end of the chapter, he came up with this conclusion: "The function of the Negro college, then is clear, is clear: it must maintain the standards of popular education, it must seek the social regeneration of the Negro, and it must help in the solution of problems of race contact and cooperation" (Dubois 68) W.E.B Dubois asks White Southerners difficult questions throughout the book most of them about education. When describing the economic inequity between the white and black schools in the South, Dubois said, "Of every five dollars spent for public education in the State of Georgia, the white schools get four dollars and the Negro one dollar; and even then the white public-school system, save in the cities, is bad and cries for reform. If this is true of the whites, what of the blacks?" (107) These tough questions that Dubois gives insight into Black people's hardships in the South, especially regarding an adequate education.

The second claim that Dubois makes and uses commentary and evidence to prove throughout the book is that the Emancipation Proclamation did not mean equal freedom for African Americans. One of the main issues that the South had to figure out due to the Emancipation Proclamation was what to do with all the enslaved people who had recently been freed. According to Dubois, one of the interesting ways he saw the South try to solve this problem is the Freedmen's Bureau. The Freedman's Bureau provided jobs, education, and healthcare to newly freed slaves. While the Bureau was seen as a solid attempt to help newly freed slaves, Dubois had a few explanations as to why the Bureau failed. According to Dubois, the Bureau was corrupt. While the Bureau tried to employ people freed from slavery, the legislation and laws "reduced Negros to serfdom" (28). The leaders of the Bureau "too often were found striving to put the "bottom rail on top" and gave the freedman a power and independence which they could not yet use" (28). Another issue Dubois had with the Bureau was the blatant racism the official had that prevented them from helping the people they were meant to help. According to Dubois, "Not a single Southern legislature stood ready to admit a Negro under any conditions, to the polls; not a single Southern legislature believed free Negro labor was possible without a system of restrictions that took all its freedom away; there was scarcely a white man in the south who did not honestly regard the Emancipation as a crime and its practical nullification as a duty" (30).

The third idea that Dubois discusses throughout the book is relations between black and white people and how that prevents the South from advancing. Dubois explains how race relations have changed between black and white southerners after the emancipation proclamation. He mentions that the black and white communities in the South can be separated by lines meaning they are highly segregated. Dubois states that "while it is quite common to find a white slum planted in the heart of a respectable Negro district. One thing, however, seldom occurs: "the best of the white and the best of the Negroes rarely live in anything like close proximity." Thus, in nearly every Southern town and city, whites and blacks commonly see the worst of each other." Another issue Dubois brings up regarding the relations between black and white southerners is economics. Dubois mentions that African Americans are at a disadvantage when it comes to being skilled in labor. Dubois states, "What the black laborer needs are careful personal guidance, group leadership of men with hearts in their bosoms, to train them to foresight, carefulness, and honesty" (80). He also states that as "long as the best elements of a community do not feel in duty bound to protect and train and care for weaker members of their group, they leave them to be preyed on by these swindlers and rascals." (81) Another topic Dubois uses to describe the relationship between white and black southerners is a crime. He gives the readers two explanations of why crime has increased in the South. One is "that the inevitable result of Emancipation was to increase crime and criminals, and (2) that the police system of the South was primarily designed to control slaves." (84). Dubois mentions that there can rarely be such a crime for enslavers to run a strict slave system. The crime rates increased when African Americans were freed but given no help or resources. Another issue that caused the increase in crime was the Southern police system. Dubois stated that the Southern police "was originally designed to keep track of all Negros and not just criminals" When Negros were freed, the South's first way to handle that was to use the court system to re-enslave Negros. Causing crime to be based solely on color and nothing else. Because of the way White leaders in the South handled "crime," black people are seen as martyrs and victims due to the systems of oppression. When giving his opinions on crime, Dubois states: "What is the name of reason does this nation expect of a people, poorly trained and hard pressed in severe economic competition, without political rights and with ludicrously inadequate common-school facilities?" (85) 

Dubois did a nice job providing fair observations on African American southerners after the emancipation proclamation. The research and observations that I described were a few of some of the many interesting facts and claimed Dubois made throughout the book. I believe he accomplished the goal of proving that Black people are human and deserve to be able to advance as a people. I recommend this book to anybody interested in African Americans or history.