In The Issue of Color-line In America

The book is about the history of black people from slaver during his time. Du Bois claims that  the concept of life behind the veil of racism about black people and the double consciousness (looking at ones self through the eyes of others) has become the turning point for connotation treatment in African Americans. The overwhelming acceptance of the idea of double consciousness leaves an American Negro with the idea of two thoughts, two souls and two warring ideals in one dark body that keep it from being torn asunder. In addition, the word Souls according to him offers an assessment of the improvement of the the race, the difficulties behind this improvement and the possibilities for future improvement as the nation. The phrase color line as he mentions is a racial segregation that exists in the United States even after the abolishment of slavery for the black people.

    In the first part of his book entitled  The Forethought he said  this meaning is not without interest to you, Gentle Reader for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of color-line  (W.E.B. Bu Bois, 1903).With the years immediately after the Civil War, he then examines the status of United States particularly the role of Freedmens Bureaus Reconstruction in creating development in America. He them mentions that the Bureau fail not only to national neglect but also to the mismanagement and biased in favor of black ligitants. However, they become successful in founding African American schools for the benefits of the black American people. Du Bois also believes that the most important event in African American history rise between the rise of man educators in battle against color-line  like Booker T. Washington in 1876. Being inspired of the idealism of Washington, Du Bois then challenged the head of  Tuskegee Institute, the most influential leader of black American during that time. He gives stress on training black people instead of liberal arts which is the leadership being shown by the head . He then argues that black should not surrender their rights in the issue of racial integration, voting rights and civil rights. And by attaining the position of the influential leader, he then divide the the clack idea into two opposing camps. Furthermore, he then asserts the policy that damaged the African American wrong views about racism and had many followers like Malcolm X,  Anne Moody and others in the long run.

    On the other hand, Malcolm X, with the assistance of Alex Haley, develop an emerging voice to the emerging Black Power Movement. In this autobiography, he then followed the views of Du Bois in giving a spectacular example of dedication, accomplishment  and battle against racism in the United States especially the black people. Thus, he said in his interview with Haley,  The common goal of 22 million Afro-Americans is respect as human beings, the God-given right to be a human being. Our common goal is to obtain the human rights that America has been denying us. We can never get civil rights in America until our human rights are first restored. We will never be recognized as citizens there until we are first recognized as humans.  (Malcolm X, 1965). Due to the popularity of Autobiography of Malcolm X, he become an icon of black pride achievement and protest. His teachings is said to be wakened the American cultural landscape about color of a people.

    The book of Anne Moody,  Coming of Age in Mississippi  tackles the depiction of being an African American growing up poor which captured the attention of the American around the country from all social classes and color. Just like Malcolm X she focuses her autobiography in the civil rights movement in the first quarter of 1960s where racial discrimination was all over the country and built an unforgettable picture of violence and inequalities that signified southern society. In the first part of her book, she focused on the part when she was four years old and a poor sharecroppers working for white American farmer. In effect, she shows the importance value of civil rights to everyone and the depth of injustices among the black American people. This autobiography of Moody primarily depicts the year long battle that faced by all southern African American. She retains the power and long-lasting appeal of basic humanity. Just like Du Bois, she drawn the fight for civil rights even though she knew that the battle is incredibly difficult and no other path to take.

     The story of these three persona reflects the battle of African American regarding racism and activism. For Du Bois, he concentrates significantly on how racial prejudice impacts individuals. Although  he mourns the loss of his baby son, he then makes an example that his son is no better off dead than living and growing up in a society dominated by the color-line. He then relates the story of Alexander Crummel, a person who struggles against prejudiced  in his tries to become an Episcopal Priest, in th last chapter of his book. The story of a young black man who attain an education in a good school is the primary focused on  Of the Coming of John.  In this story, John have the capability to lead and govern because of his new knowledge, however color-line places him at odds with a southern community and he is destroyed by racism. He then concludes in his essay that the African American Spirituals that have been developed from their African origins into a powerful expressions of pain, sorrow and exile that delegates the hardship of African American people during that time. Thus, in the last part of his song he then mentioned,  not simply as the sole American music, but as the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side the seas,  (W.E.B. Bu Bois, 1903).

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