The Evaluation and Effect on the Formation of W.E.B Du Boiss NAACP during the African American Civil Rights Movement

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The Evaluation and Effect on the Formation of W.E.B Du Bois’s NAACP during the African American Civil Rights Movement

                                                Antranedra Williams

                                              History Extended Essay

                                                 Word Count: 3,628

 

                                                                                         Humble High School

                                                                                                      Mr. Stanley

Table of Contents

Cover Page…………………………………………………………………..1

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………2

Abstract……………………………………………………………………...3

Introduction………………………………………………………………….4

The Life of W.E.B Du Bois……………………………….......................5-10

The Birth and Accomplishments of the NAACP……………………10-16

NAACP‘s Influence on the Civil Rights Movement…………..16-20

Conclusion…………………………………………………………20-23

References………………………………………………………………….

Abstract :

        This essay examines and discusses the effect on the formation of W.E.B Du Bois’s NAACP on the African American civil rights movement of  the late twentieth century. Specifically, this paper evaluates how Du Bois’s philosophical motives spearheaded the formation of the NAACP, which effected the civil rights movement in various positive ways. During the research process of the essay it revealed the true importance of gaining an education, eliminating racial segregation, and ending women’s suffrage. This essay begins through the evaluation of W.E.B Du Bois’s life background and contributions to the African American Civil Rights movement. The two component of this essay focuses on the birth of the NAACP and its accomplishments. The final component of this essay analyzes how Du Bois’s formation of the NAACP effected the civil rights movement, that later led to more black progression. The form of research used for this essay were books and articles from the twentieth and twentieth-first century.

                                                                                            [Word Count: 160]

Introduction :

        During the mid 1900’s , United States experienced approximately ten years of racial injustice and inequality. This era is referred to as the African-American Civil rights Movement. The movement aimed to outlaw racial segregation and restore voting rights in southern United States. African Americans strived for freedom from oppression of whites. During this time period of hatred, hostility, and racial injustice the formation of organizations and leaders were imperative; in order to achieve complete equality in the United States. Some of the prominent black elite civil rights activist during this era was  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ralph Albernathy, Marcus Garvey, and most importantly W.E.B Du Bois. These leaders of the civil rights movement  led movements ; such as the Selma Marches, Greensboro sit-ins, and Montgomery Bus Boycotts. Although, most of these movements are led by different activist in various areas in the United States, they all share one similar aspect; during the African American Civil Rights movement many activist practiced non-violent protesting. Some activist also created their own black organizations like Martin Luther King’s Christian Leader Southern Conference and W. E. B Du Bois’s National Association Achievement of Colored People. The NAACP was, and still is today, an organization that promotes racial equality, women’s suffrage, and the importance of education in the black community throughout the United States; and it was derived from one of the world’s greatest civil rights activist; W.E.B Du Bois.

The Life of W.E.B Du Bois:

        During the time period of racial inequality and hostility against African-Americans W.E.B Du Bois, greatly influenced the United States as a sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, and Pan-Africanist. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born in Massachusetts February 23, 1868. Du Bois’s philosophical views were heavily influenced by Gandhi, he referred to him as the “greatest man in the world”. He was “among the first American intellectuals to grasp the international implications of the struggle for racial injustice, memorably proclaiming the problem of the twentieth century.” This premier architect of the civil rights movement was the first African-American to earn his Ph.D in History and at Harvard University in 1895. From here, he began teaching as a Greek and Latin Professor at Wilberforce University. Then he began working as an Assistant Instructor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania from 1896 to 1897. Once he began teaching at Atlanta University in 1898 he was the Professor of Economics and History and the Chairman of the Sociology Department. “On top of his work as a teacher and scholar, he was a tireless activist for social and racial justice.” He played a crucial role in creating the Niagara Movement, which demanded social and political equality by opposing  segregation, enforcing the 13, 14, 15th amendments, and women suffrage. Du Bois also aimed to cease racism and promote equality by creating the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1910, also known as the NAACP. After completing his years of schooling, he wrote over fourteen pioneering books on sociology, history, and politics. His most popular book was The Souls of Black. This was a collection of fourteen essays that later transformed race relations in the United States by “redefining  the terms of a 300-year old interaction between black and whites and reshaping the cultural and political psychology of peoples of African descent.” During his era, Du Bois’s book was often referred to as the most influential and important book regarding African-Americans since Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book disagreed with Booker T. Washington’s, one of the most prominent African-American civil rights leaders, views on the ways to make blacks more prosperous in America. Washington believed that teaching was a duty that every black individual needed to obtain in order to assimilate with the white culture during the civil rights movement. “Washington was an advocate of African-Americans using industrial training to learn trades”, whereas “Du Bois believed the uplifting of African Americans was tied to their increased enrollment in broad education in the liberal arts.” “He sought to exert political influence in that repetitive theme in his fiction was the necessity for peoples of color globally to unite against white supremacy and its close cousins imperialism and colonialism.” To achieve racial equality during the 1900’s in the United States Du Bois used cultural and economical separatism, propaganda, human rights, and integration. For an example, Du Bois created a monthly NAACP magazine, “The Crisis magazine to demand full civil rights and complete racial integration…” “White propaganda as art demonized blacks. Thus it seems that Du Bois’ doctrine demanded that black artist manipulate their creative impulses to present positive images of blacks…” He strived to increase political representation for blacks in order to guarantee the formation of an elite black class that would work towards the progression of the African-American race. As a well-educated black individual of society he believed the more blacks moved towards achieving equality the more likely the harsh crime rates in the south would decrease. His thoughts on urban black crime during the 1900’s was expressed through his publications of The Philadelphia Negro, The Black North in 1901. He was one of the nation’s first criminologists; his analytical assessment of crime was very insightful and important because it was linked to “the color line” problem of the 20th century, and his entire input on the topic was related in some way to explaining, exploring, and deconstructing that color line. “Du Bois believed that the final cause of African American criminality was segregation. It was his thought that this practice was an exaggerated and unnatural separation of the races.” Du Bois emphasized that the division between whites and blacks was very dangerous because it would halt any progress made towards providing solutions to the causes of African American criminality. He strongly believed the Emancipation Proclamation only left opportunity for blacks fail; because once blacks were freed they still weren’t treated equally. After, the Emancipation Proclamation blacks had a difficult time finding jobs and housing; due to their race and lack of education. That caused a big social, economical, and political gap between blacks and whites after the slaves were freed in the United States. However, Du Bois formulated many ways to make blacks prosperous and reduce the societal crime and poverty rate. His main motive was through education.  “He foresaw progress for African-Americans emerging with the cultivation of an upper class (the “Talented Teeth”) who would serve as a social ideal for the black masses, uplifting from their ignorance and corruption”.   Not only was he an elite black intellectual leader during the civil rights movement, but he also supported other critical cultural expressions as the founder of the American Negro Academy and supporter of the Harlem Renaissance. “He was profoundly committed to the ideal of an integrated society, where blacks would be treated as equal partners with full American citizenship”. Du Bois was the first pioneer of the Pan-African Movement, which sought to unify African-Americans politically, socially, economically, and racially. He strived to expand and be proud of celebrating black culture by spreading African Diaspora throughout the world, today he is known as the Father of Pan-Africanism. “Du Bois served as the Secretary of the First Pan-African movement, and was a leader of many subsequent Pan-African Congresses.” He also fought for women’s rights, Jewish rights, and workers’ rights. However, late in his life he was exiled to Ghana, Africa because many people began to label him as a communist because he was accused of being a member of the Socialist Party. But, today he is remembered as one of the world’s best black elite intellectual leaders during the civil rights movement; due to his philosophical motives, forming black organizations, and being such a persuasive and prolific writer.

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The Birth and Accomplishments of the NAACP :

The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People was, and still today, a black organization in the United States that formed in February 12, 1909, in Springfield, Illinois, after the horrifying lynching’s began in the south. Its mission was “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.” Due to internal conflict, in 1910 many black prominent leaders and members of the Niagara Movement joined the NAACP. “Du Bois and other highly educated and upper-class African-Americans initiated the ...

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