QUOTE:
“I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt” (Du Bois 896).
SUMMARY:
Du Bois decides that he no longer wishes to be accepted, in other words, to be “white.” Instead, he would rather be the “underdog” or the one who can at least rise above the hate.
RESPONSE:
I think everyone can relate to this quote. I wanted to raise my hand in class and talk about how I directly relate to this quote, just like Dr. Scott, so then I was going to wait until after class. However, it dawned on me: This is what journals are for! So referring to my life directly: It’s strange to say, “I’m glad I almost died and had to start over,” so I won’t exactly say that. However, I really wouldn’t change anything that has happened to me.
Sometimes I still wonder what would have happened if I wasn’t unconscious for the Missy video I had booked, or the show I was about to do in France, but then I would just be saying, “what if” to a million possibilities. And of course I would have had a much “easier” life if I didn’t spend a whole year in and out of the hospital, but I think at least a part of my character is stronger now. I’m pretty sure this is the same type of mindset Du Bois is referring to; the same type of mindset that makes people prefer working for their accomplishments, instead of being completely spoiled.
There seems to be more dignity in being the “bigger” person, or the “stronger” person, in the sense of confidence and respect, and in comparison to the selfish person who probably has a “weaker” personality. In regards to exactly what Du Bois is referring to however; I know a lot of people who are from different racial backgrounds, and I don’t think any of them wish that they were some other race. If anything, I know a lot more “white” people who wish that they were “black” or “Latin” or anything more “exotic.” Of course, this mindset is brand new compared to how long these races have been discriminated against.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Journal #19 Booker T. Washington: How Ex-Slaves Can Thrive!
QUOTE:
“In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (Washington 681).
SUMMARY:
This is another part of Washington’s speech, The Atlanta Exposition Address. Washington is promoting the idea of “Separate but Equal” with this metaphor.
RESPONSE:
I think Washington’s metaphor could have worked better if people really understood what he was envisioning. In my opinion, he is saying that white people and black people don’t have to hang out together, but that everyone needs to be able to work together. It’s hard not to see this statement as a promotion for segregation though, and especially since Washington describes black people as being “unresentful” and still willing to “lay down [their] lives” (Washington 681) to protect the same people who have kept them in daunting slavery. It’s good to be forgiving, but I don’t know if I could have let go of all the torture, rape, and servitude slaves had to endure, if I were an ex-slave.
When we read this quote in class, I understood what Washington meant, but then I started analyzing his metaphor. The first thing I thought was, “I think people don’t really need their pinky finger to survive.” What was I thinking??!! I can only imagine what other interpretations and thoughts came up, perhaps, from someone who didn’t really want to see black people reach any success in life. People tend to hear what they want, especially listening to a speech coming from a representative of the “inconvenient” situation. Maybe I’m being too hard on Washington though. I still understand that he was looking out for the extremely oppressed people, and that he was trying to suggest the most practical way they would be able to thrive.
“In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (Washington 681).
SUMMARY:
This is another part of Washington’s speech, The Atlanta Exposition Address. Washington is promoting the idea of “Separate but Equal” with this metaphor.
RESPONSE:
I think Washington’s metaphor could have worked better if people really understood what he was envisioning. In my opinion, he is saying that white people and black people don’t have to hang out together, but that everyone needs to be able to work together. It’s hard not to see this statement as a promotion for segregation though, and especially since Washington describes black people as being “unresentful” and still willing to “lay down [their] lives” (Washington 681) to protect the same people who have kept them in daunting slavery. It’s good to be forgiving, but I don’t know if I could have let go of all the torture, rape, and servitude slaves had to endure, if I were an ex-slave.
When we read this quote in class, I understood what Washington meant, but then I started analyzing his metaphor. The first thing I thought was, “I think people don’t really need their pinky finger to survive.” What was I thinking??!! I can only imagine what other interpretations and thoughts came up, perhaps, from someone who didn’t really want to see black people reach any success in life. People tend to hear what they want, especially listening to a speech coming from a representative of the “inconvenient” situation. Maybe I’m being too hard on Washington though. I still understand that he was looking out for the extremely oppressed people, and that he was trying to suggest the most practical way they would be able to thrive.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Journal #18 Booker T. Washington: Be A Farmer!
QUOTE:
“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not the top” (Washington 681).
SUMMARY:
Washington gives this speech at the Atlanta Exposition in order to encourage a friendship between Southern whites and Southern blacks especially. He is introduced as a representative of “Negro enterprise and Negro Civilization.”
RESPONSE:
There is definitely truth in this statement, as far as there being dignity in different professions and lifestyles, since all people are especially skilled in different mediums. However, not everyone is necessarily destined to start out farming. At first Washington’s speech makes perfect sense though, people in general start at level one before they start on level five, but every single African American has a different scenario and cannot be expected to hold back if he or she is ready for a, perhaps, more “sophisticated” or complex lifestyle. It seems like Washington’s main concern is with the Southern states though, and enabling Southern whites and Southern blacks to progress side by side, so he is most likely talking about the majority of the “ex-plantation” slave population becoming farmers before anything else.
At first I thought, “This makes sense,” and I agreed with Washington. However, although his idea can be applied to many Southern African Americans, I also see how Washington’s speeches contributed to racial segregation and inequality. It’s unfortunate that his points didn’t include African Americans who had been educated since his speeches brought so much attention, so I’m glad that there were other black Americans who at least disagreed with Washington's ideas. If nobody challenged Washington, I wonder if there would still be segregation today? I don’t want to completely dismiss what Washington was trying to accomplish, however. I understand his reasoning considering how many slaves were somewhat dependent on their masters, since slaveholders liked to keep their slaves in a “childlike” state.
“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not the top” (Washington 681).
SUMMARY:
Washington gives this speech at the Atlanta Exposition in order to encourage a friendship between Southern whites and Southern blacks especially. He is introduced as a representative of “Negro enterprise and Negro Civilization.”
RESPONSE:
There is definitely truth in this statement, as far as there being dignity in different professions and lifestyles, since all people are especially skilled in different mediums. However, not everyone is necessarily destined to start out farming. At first Washington’s speech makes perfect sense though, people in general start at level one before they start on level five, but every single African American has a different scenario and cannot be expected to hold back if he or she is ready for a, perhaps, more “sophisticated” or complex lifestyle. It seems like Washington’s main concern is with the Southern states though, and enabling Southern whites and Southern blacks to progress side by side, so he is most likely talking about the majority of the “ex-plantation” slave population becoming farmers before anything else.
At first I thought, “This makes sense,” and I agreed with Washington. However, although his idea can be applied to many Southern African Americans, I also see how Washington’s speeches contributed to racial segregation and inequality. It’s unfortunate that his points didn’t include African Americans who had been educated since his speeches brought so much attention, so I’m glad that there were other black Americans who at least disagreed with Washington's ideas. If nobody challenged Washington, I wonder if there would still be segregation today? I don’t want to completely dismiss what Washington was trying to accomplish, however. I understand his reasoning considering how many slaves were somewhat dependent on their masters, since slaveholders liked to keep their slaves in a “childlike” state.
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