The Souls of Black Folk Essay Example for Free

The Souls of Black Folk Essay W. E. B. Du Bois’ book entitled ‘The Souls of Black Folk’ talks about the color-line of citizens being the most common problem in the society. In a prophetical statement, he describes the society of the 20th century by putting emphasis on how it is to be free, what are the corresponding effects, as well as the social responsibilities that the leaders carry in their society. He states that problems of the society in the 20th century refer to problems of the color line (Du Bois 1). In an effort to interpret the spiritual world of the ten thousand people that live in the dawn of the 20th century, Du Bois refers to ‘emancipation’ as the root cause of people rising in personal leadership, creating two worlds that are within and without the Veil, with the effect of making way to train men for life. This paper revolves around the advance of the society in terms of color and black peasantry. Plunging deeper within the Veil, Du Bois reflected the true nature of the black society—its religion, struggle, passion and sorrow. As Du Bois stated, â€Å"The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife,this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self† (4). To end this strife, the black folk have to merge with the society and be a co-worker in a culture where no color lingers in the soul. Main Body According to the prophecy of Du Bois, the first decade of the 20th century would be filled with the black society searching the true sense of freedom in the true world—the emergence of war, terror, lies, disorganization, and contradiction†¦ for the sake of freedom that has not been sought. Du Bois stated, â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line,the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea† (9). Slaves, refugees, and fugitives of war sent organizations into sending clothes, money, books, and teachers, usually to the black societies that were nearly destitute brought by famine and war. Despite temporal relief, the crisis included a labor problem that multiplied and affected vast dimensions in the societies, which led to the cultivation through systems of control. This brought great relief, as the war finally led to their liberty—an order and a system apt for the development of bureau set for â€Å"improvement, protection, and employment of refugee freedmen† (12). From a state of forced labor, black folks were emancipated to a new state of industry that brought the picture of black workers to a new dimension of industrial privilege. It was totally not the worst type of slavery in the world, but it was capable of totally deserting the rights of the black men†¦ putting them under the same classification of the ox and the animals. Despite the fact that they fought with their soul for the liberty that was barred by the system of slavery—in great masses that almost terrified the political system—the black folks fought for freedom with a cry†¦ dividing the two classes and driving them away from chains. The general system and local organization of these folks, however, had led to two basic problems that are the following: first, the abandoned lands of the South, which rapidly melted away from the hands of the Freedmen’s Bureau; and second, the complexity of perfecting the local organization with significantly wide fields of work (Du Bois 15). By 1866, the basic step was to finalize a step that extended the Bureau, authorized additional commissioners, maintained army officers, and sold forfeited lands on merely nominal terms (17). Having to dominate and manage the government of the so-called ‘unreconstructed’ South, the Freedmen’s Bureau became what Du Bois stated as â€Å"a full-fledged government of men† (17). However, as Du Bois stated, In the work of establishing the Negroes as peasant propri-etors, the Bureau was from the first handicapped and at last absolutely checked. Something was done, and larger things were planned; abandoned lands were leased so long as they remained in the hands of the Bureau, and a total revenue of nearly half a million dollars derived from black tenants. (19) Salvation came when the Freedmen’s Bank made a huge step in the development of the social individuality and stance of the Black Men. Despite the crash—when hard-earned dollars suddenly drifted away from the freedmen—the stabilization brought by the Freedmen’s Bank brought huge relief to the black folks of the society: The deeds of these rulers fall mainly under seven heads: the relief of physical suffering, the overseeing of the beginnings of free labor, the buying and selling of lad, the establishment of schools, the paying of bounties, the administration of justice, and the financiering of all these activities. (19) Conclusion From a life of total isolation from the more fortunate ‘colors’ of the society, the black folks learned the ABCs of being free, by combining the leaders’ faith and goodwill to the folks’ passion and love for freedom. By means of emancipation, the black folks awakened to a consciousness that brought joy and relief, which made slavery appear to be a myth. The 20th century was, indeed, a time of emancipation and great hunger for human rights, liberty, and democracy. Being the root cause of personal leadership, emancipation has, indeed, led to a society where the black folks rose to distinction and power, as it created one world that is without the Veil†¦ from a world within the Veil that prevented the cause of being in a world where the soul freely rises to a level where the soul reflects no color at all. Works Cited Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Fold. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2004.