To begin a conversation of Blacks in white America and initial influences on black radicalism, we have to include W.E.B Dubois and his “A Negro Within the Nation” speeches; these speeches, published together in 1935, advocate self-segregation. This was an interesting shift from Dubois’ past advocacy of integration. It is necessary to note this because we cannot analyze these speeches as the story of W.E.B. Dubois' philosophy. Dubois cannot be depicted solely by the thoughts he framed in this work, but his stance during this period will help shape understanding of future black revolutionary thought and it is what we can hone in on moving forward. For Dubois to arrive at theories consistent with Black Nationalism (and his crucial rule in the Pan-African movement) he underwent many transformations.
“A Negro Within the Nation” begins by discussing the issues that plagued the Black community in America. With a discussion of how Blacks fit, or rather did not fit, into the economic, social, political and even geographical space of white people during the Depression. His major argument focused around the inferior economic position of Blacks. Freed Blacks did not have a way to become financially independent so Dubois called for reform, manifested through land redistribution, arguing that failing to redistribute land after the Civil War gave Blacks no alternative but to depend on their masters. The radical thought of the time was Dubois’ want to separate black economic progress from white industry. While other black intellectuals looked at the solution as integrating blacks into white economy, Dubois did not. Dubois understood that racism in America was real and as such, it did not allow for black progress within white America’s economy.
This was what set up a lot of “A Negro Within the Nation,” clearly, depicting “the nation” as white America. Dubois’ manifesto on black life within this nation was explained by a critic as describing, “a series of historical paradoxes, black life in North America is full of tragic irony – the enslaved in the land of freedom” (37). This, to black intellectuals, was to be understood only with increasing black consciousness. How black consciousness unfolded since this time would shape black revolutionary thought moving forward. For W.E.B. Dubois, developing black consciousness meant developing a separatist movement. For the coming weeks, it will be interesting to follow up on how this self-segregation informed Dubois’ Pan-African movement, advocating reform as opposed to calling for revolution. Furthermore, his journey in forming Black Nationalist thought was anything but consistent and straightforward. I’m interested in exploring how that journey, for example going from believing in a talented 10th to advocating economic dependency, compared to increasing black consciousness in future revolutionaries and black power movements of the time.
“A Negro Within the Nation” begins by discussing the issues that plagued the Black community in America. With a discussion of how Blacks fit, or rather did not fit, into the economic, social, political and even geographical space of white people during the Depression. His major argument focused around the inferior economic position of Blacks. Freed Blacks did not have a way to become financially independent so Dubois called for reform, manifested through land redistribution, arguing that failing to redistribute land after the Civil War gave Blacks no alternative but to depend on their masters. The radical thought of the time was Dubois’ want to separate black economic progress from white industry. While other black intellectuals looked at the solution as integrating blacks into white economy, Dubois did not. Dubois understood that racism in America was real and as such, it did not allow for black progress within white America’s economy.
This was what set up a lot of “A Negro Within the Nation,” clearly, depicting “the nation” as white America. Dubois’ manifesto on black life within this nation was explained by a critic as describing, “a series of historical paradoxes, black life in North America is full of tragic irony – the enslaved in the land of freedom” (37). This, to black intellectuals, was to be understood only with increasing black consciousness. How black consciousness unfolded since this time would shape black revolutionary thought moving forward. For W.E.B. Dubois, developing black consciousness meant developing a separatist movement. For the coming weeks, it will be interesting to follow up on how this self-segregation informed Dubois’ Pan-African movement, advocating reform as opposed to calling for revolution. Furthermore, his journey in forming Black Nationalist thought was anything but consistent and straightforward. I’m interested in exploring how that journey, for example going from believing in a talented 10th to advocating economic dependency, compared to increasing black consciousness in future revolutionaries and black power movements of the time.
Melissa A.
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