Du Bois

W. E. B. Du Bois | Education Opens up the Future 1868 USA 1963 GHANA

W.E.B. Du Bois is a philosopher of education. He teaches us to understand the mechanisms involved in our self-perceptions, and to separate the views others have of us from our own views of ourselves. Du Bois was born of African descent into a heritage of enslavement and systematic degradation by White people. He rallied African Americans to fight against deep feelings of shame and low self-esteem. The devastating heritage of slavery had ill prepared the newly freed men and women for independence. This left them with little foundation upon which to build a positive sense of worth. Self-doubt, buttressed by a general disdain and hatred for everything about Black people, plunged African Americans into despair. Yet, in addition to decrying racial injustice, violence, and discrimination, Du Bois cleverly turned the situation around to empower the African American community. He sternly placed the burden of change at their feet by inspiring purpose and education as tools to build self-esteem, feelings of self-worth and to help the nation reach its goal of freedom and equality for all. Without education, we are likely to get caught up in the ideas others have of us without knowing how these ideas become part of our own self-consciousnesses.