African American Equality

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The African American Struggle for Equality Although slavery was abolished in 1865 by the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans continued to struggle for their freedom and equality that they rightfully deserve. Racial inequality, discrimination, and segregation continued to occur well into the twentieth century. In the book The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois, Du Bois who was a leader and activist in his own right discusses these in great detail. Specifically referring to the “color line”, education, Malcolm X, with the addition of the KKK. Along with these, Du Bois analyzes other African American leaders who took charge and tried to create change at a time of crisis. Through all of this Du Bois was able to clearly demonstrate …show more content…
This, he states is the color line. Defined as “The relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea”(W.E.B. Du Bois page 9). He later goes on to explain how the “color line” was the main cause of the civil war, and it was a war that was being fought over negro slaves. While the coals of the war begin to settle, the Emancipation Proclamation passed. This grew a new set of problems for African Americans. While they were not slaves anymore, they were not accepted into society as a whole either. This is the problem that has persisted well into the twentieth century. The government can abolish slavery, but it cannot however abolish how a man thinks about another. Changing the way people think has been a struggle for African Americans, but there has been great progress in the fight for equality. Du Bois came up with a idea to help to establish racial relations. At the turn of the twentieth century, America was concerned with money and only money. They did not value other things that would enrich their knowledge and spirituality. From Du Bois's days as a teacher he noticed this and came up with an idea to train the “Talented Tenth” of the African college to act as a liaison for racial relations and to help close the gap between racial segregation and racism as a whole. Racism is a problem that will continue to manifest itself …show more content…
To be educated the same as their white counterparts would shrink the gap between the two races greatly. Diminishing and abolishing the belief that blacks are less than white; because once you start to do things that they can do better or just as good there is no backing to that claim and therefore it disappears. Freedmen’s Bureau played a huge part in educating the youth. His plan for elementary schooling for all the youth in the south was huge. "Only those who have watched and guided the faltering feet, the misty minds, the dull understands, of the dark pupils of these schools know how faithfully, how piteously, this people strove to learn."(W.E.B. Du Bois page 12). This quote above demonstrates not only a need for education but a deep want for the chance to be educated. Something not all their white counterparts have, a drive to learn. However the south did not agree with this and demonstrated it through ash and violence. “for the South believed an educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro” (W.E.B. Du Bois page 20) This just demonstrates how important an education is to the African Americans, They believe that educated Negroes are dangerous negroes because they will then learn to stand up for themselves and win over the majority of the nation. Forcing the south to accept them as
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