Teaching a Life Lesson 

Black History runs deep, therefore I'm providing one lesson at a time. Please engage as we connect the past to the present and hopefully create a more productive future.

Long before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, and long before Malcolm X taught us to stand, fighting to be treated equal was an ongoing struggle. Furthermore, long before Obama gave us hope, the path was laid by several courageous pioneers. First, their fight for humanity, then their fight for freedom, followed by their fight for equality and now our fight for survival. The list of freedom fighters would be end-less, several known and thousands unknown. But for the purpose of this paper we will zero in on the issue at hand.
In the pre-Civil War era the fight for humanity plagued the conscience of all blacks, free or slaves. This fight endured until the conclusion of the American Civil War (1865) in which the battle for freedom would be won at the same time as gaining humanity. But, even though blacks were liberated it did not mean they were treated the same as other ethnic groups. And although Congress ratified the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, ending slavery and guaranteeing blacks equal protection under the law with voting rights for males; overall, reconstruction of the south didn’t bring about equality. Furthermore, unfortunately, the blunt reality for blacks fell far short of its original ideals. As violence and discrimination against blacks grew, many blacks began to organize and demand change; and In the face of society’s cruel injustices, the nation’s most visible Black leaders became boisterous. Booker T. Washington told blacks to move slowly toward racial progress. He thought by working hard and waiting patiently blacks would gradually win white Americans’ respect and eventually be able to exercise their full voting and citizenship rights. On the other hand, many Blacks rejected this view. The most outspoken among them was W.E.B. Du Bois. He urged Black Americans to demand immediately all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Du Bois not only pushed for social and economic equality, but had a concern that all across the South, black men were being denied the right to vote. Du Bois thought Washington was too willing to compromise Black Americans’ basic rights just to be accepted. He also condemned Washington’s notion of teaching only trade skills (Vocational). This kind of education, Du Bois said, “can create workers, but it cannot make men. In his opinion, he thought that “Talented blacks should be taught history, literature, and philosophy, so they could think for themselves”. Du Bois fought for all areas of equality; he thought blacks should be mentally free from ignorance, politically free from disfranchisement, and socially free from insult.

Du Bois favored an academic education; he knew that blacks would never be on the same playing field unless they became literate. He knew reading was fundamental to function in society, which was true then and even truer today. Although Washington and Du Bois differed on the route of black progress, they had a similar goal in mind, create a self-sufficient man. They both knew that the road to a stable life was through some form of education. What’s been lost or maybe what we’ve been distracted from is when there was a fight for voting, there was also a fight for a decent education as well. For now we know that an education is necessary for a promising and secure future and also a stable life. It may be called the “root of all evil” but most people will agree that money is important for survival in today’s world. The more educated you are, the better career options you create! Education is very important if you want to be a self- dependent and a financially independent person. The flip side of not getting your education is possibly living a poverty stricken life with a lack of opportunities which often turn to illegal ways to solve your problems. We live in a country where we enjoy a number of rights and freedoms but for every area you lack education, it’s easy to be exploited and fooled. Take advantage of what so many people have fought for you to have. Don’t allow your-self to look back and say “I Woulda, Coulda, & Shoulda” Or better yet “If I knew then what I know now” because in the end, some opportunities become lost opportunities.

Thanks for reading,
Historian Derrick (CEO) Caples

Reviews

[T.S. Sky]

This is a excellent article.

[CEOCaples]

Thank you very much

[T.S. Sky]

You're welcome.

[Ruth]

A great read and educationally interesting, blessings to you...

[CEOCaples]

Thank you for taking the time to read my work...

[Jddcbjiuh]

W.E.B. Du Bois was definitely a great leader, this was a great and informational read. And great added quotes, as they are very common in everyday life.

[CEOCaples]

Thank you...

[Jddcbjiuh]

Anytime :)

[...]

I echo Valentine's comments. Interesting read.

[Valentine]

Interesting write. One other nice thing a black man did was writing the hymn Amazing Grace. Valentine