Terrence L. Johnson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195383980
- eISBN:
- 9780199897469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195383980.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature, Philosophy of Religion
Chapter Six places Du Bois’s revised Talented Tenth as an extension of tragic soul-life. In this context, the Talented Tenth is a pragmatic model of how to exercise soul-beauty—the moral practices of ...
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Chapter Six places Du Bois’s revised Talented Tenth as an extension of tragic soul-life. In this context, the Talented Tenth is a pragmatic model of how to exercise soul-beauty—the moral practices of individual sacrifice and collective struggle—in ordinary life.Less
Chapter Six places Du Bois’s revised Talented Tenth as an extension of tragic soul-life. In this context, the Talented Tenth is a pragmatic model of how to exercise soul-beauty—the moral practices of individual sacrifice and collective struggle—in ordinary life.
David Gilbert
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781469622699
- eISBN:
- 9781469622712
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469622699.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
This chapter describes how the Hotel Marshall musicians advanced new and transgressive approaches to racial politics and representations. Their visions of blackness saw beauty in the vernacular of ...
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This chapter describes how the Hotel Marshall musicians advanced new and transgressive approaches to racial politics and representations. Their visions of blackness saw beauty in the vernacular of the masses, even as they are snubbed by the cultural elitism of the Talented Tenth's own efforts at racial uplift. Instead of trying to change the masses, the Marshall community attempted to change the perception of black vernacular expression. The Marshall musicians' strategies for increasing the professional and cultural value of black commercial culture presented a different approach to racial uplift. Centering on professionalizing African American performers and expanding the number of blacks who could become full-time professionals, Marshall entertainers expanded the social respect, cultural authority, and weekly wages of hundreds of blacks, not only in New York but throughout America.Less
This chapter describes how the Hotel Marshall musicians advanced new and transgressive approaches to racial politics and representations. Their visions of blackness saw beauty in the vernacular of the masses, even as they are snubbed by the cultural elitism of the Talented Tenth's own efforts at racial uplift. Instead of trying to change the masses, the Marshall community attempted to change the perception of black vernacular expression. The Marshall musicians' strategies for increasing the professional and cultural value of black commercial culture presented a different approach to racial uplift. Centering on professionalizing African American performers and expanding the number of blacks who could become full-time professionals, Marshall entertainers expanded the social respect, cultural authority, and weekly wages of hundreds of blacks, not only in New York but throughout America.
W. E. B. DU BOIS
Nahum Dimitri Chandler (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780823254545
- eISBN:
- 9780823260843
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823254545.003.0011
- Subject:
- Philosophy, American Philosophy
This chapter presents an essay by W. E. B. Du Bois on the Talented Tenth. It argues that the Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, ...
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This chapter presents an essay by W. E. B. Du Bois on the Talented Tenth. It argues that the Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first of all deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst, in their own and other races. The chapter attempts to show from the past that the Talented Tenth, as they have risen among American Negroes, have been worthy of leadership; second, to show how these men may be educated and developed; and third, to show their relation to the Negro problem.Less
This chapter presents an essay by W. E. B. Du Bois on the Talented Tenth. It argues that the Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first of all deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst, in their own and other races. The chapter attempts to show from the past that the Talented Tenth, as they have risen among American Negroes, have been worthy of leadership; second, to show how these men may be educated and developed; and third, to show their relation to the Negro problem.
Sterling Stuckey
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199931675
- eISBN:
- 9780199356027
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931675.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, American History: early to 18th Century, Cultural History
To W. E. B. Du Bois, the slave church was African rather than Christian, thus allowing slaves of different backgrounds to find a common spiritual vision and a pan-African identity. His conception of ...
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To W. E. B. Du Bois, the slave church was African rather than Christian, thus allowing slaves of different backgrounds to find a common spiritual vision and a pan-African identity. His conception of double consciousness—the sense of being divided, an American, a Negro—was derived from Frederick Douglass's conception that “gloom” and “cheer” so burdened slaves that they were almost torn asunder. Yet Du Bois argues that the reliance of slaves on themselves yielded art that called into question the charge that they were inferior to whites. In addition, Du Bois added, in The Souls of Black Folk and elsewhere, that the slave contribution to the nation's economy was so great that any history of labor in America should begin with slave labor. Du Bois revealed a deep antagonism to capitalism and considered socialism, with its roots in ancient African communal societies, preferable.Less
To W. E. B. Du Bois, the slave church was African rather than Christian, thus allowing slaves of different backgrounds to find a common spiritual vision and a pan-African identity. His conception of double consciousness—the sense of being divided, an American, a Negro—was derived from Frederick Douglass's conception that “gloom” and “cheer” so burdened slaves that they were almost torn asunder. Yet Du Bois argues that the reliance of slaves on themselves yielded art that called into question the charge that they were inferior to whites. In addition, Du Bois added, in The Souls of Black Folk and elsewhere, that the slave contribution to the nation's economy was so great that any history of labor in America should begin with slave labor. Du Bois revealed a deep antagonism to capitalism and considered socialism, with its roots in ancient African communal societies, preferable.
Felix L. Armfield
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252036583
- eISBN:
- 9780252093623
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252036583.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
This concluding chapter summarizes the notable events and accomplishments of Eugene Kinckle Jones's life and work, contextualizing them furthermore within a racially charged climate. Jones grew up in ...
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This concluding chapter summarizes the notable events and accomplishments of Eugene Kinckle Jones's life and work, contextualizing them furthermore within a racially charged climate. Jones grew up in a comfortably middle-class family, and was, along with many of his peers, charged with a peculiar responsibility for racial uplift as part of the Talented Tenth. The chapter also considers how Jones and his peers belonged to the group of African Americans whose contributions, had it not been for their race, would have been properly acknowledged long before now. Finally, the chapter reiterates the aims of this volume's overall study in situating Jones as a significant part of black American history long before the civil rights era.Less
This concluding chapter summarizes the notable events and accomplishments of Eugene Kinckle Jones's life and work, contextualizing them furthermore within a racially charged climate. Jones grew up in a comfortably middle-class family, and was, along with many of his peers, charged with a peculiar responsibility for racial uplift as part of the Talented Tenth. The chapter also considers how Jones and his peers belonged to the group of African Americans whose contributions, had it not been for their race, would have been properly acknowledged long before now. Finally, the chapter reiterates the aims of this volume's overall study in situating Jones as a significant part of black American history long before the civil rights era.
Howard Bodenhorn
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199383092
- eISBN:
- 9780199383115
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199383092.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This book studies how color intersected with polity, society and economy in the nineteenth–century South. Although legal historians have explored how early Americans legally defined and contested ...
More
This book studies how color intersected with polity, society and economy in the nineteenth–century South. Although legal historians have explored how early Americans legally defined and contested race, that literature has overlooked or downplayed the middle ground occupied by a sizeable mixed-race population of antebellum free people. These were the “talented tenth” long before W.E.B. Dubois coined the term. Economists and economic historians, too, have overlooked the centrality of color and the mixed-race middle. Each chapter fills this gap and relies on newly collected data to explore how color affected African-American’s lives from cradle to grave. On the plantation, color influenced which slaves were manumitted, which ones ran away, and which were pursued. In freedom, color influenced who married whom, who attended school, the sorts of employment one found, how wealth was accumulated over the life cycle, and how healthy one was. In short, color was manifest in all aspects of African-American life.Less
This book studies how color intersected with polity, society and economy in the nineteenth–century South. Although legal historians have explored how early Americans legally defined and contested race, that literature has overlooked or downplayed the middle ground occupied by a sizeable mixed-race population of antebellum free people. These were the “talented tenth” long before W.E.B. Dubois coined the term. Economists and economic historians, too, have overlooked the centrality of color and the mixed-race middle. Each chapter fills this gap and relies on newly collected data to explore how color affected African-American’s lives from cradle to grave. On the plantation, color influenced which slaves were manumitted, which ones ran away, and which were pursued. In freedom, color influenced who married whom, who attended school, the sorts of employment one found, how wealth was accumulated over the life cycle, and how healthy one was. In short, color was manifest in all aspects of African-American life.
Matthew W. Hughey and Gregory S. Parks (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781604739213
- eISBN:
- 9781604739220
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781604739213.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
At the turn of the twentieth century, black fraternities and sororities, also known as black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs), were an integral part of what W.E.B. Du Bois called the “talented ...
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At the turn of the twentieth century, black fraternities and sororities, also known as black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs), were an integral part of what W.E.B. Du Bois called the “talented tenth.” This was the top ten percent of the black community that would serve as a cadre of educated, upper-class, motivated individuals who acquired the professional credentials, skills, and capital to assist the race to attain socio-economic parity. Today, however, BGLOs struggle to find their place and direction in a world drastically different from the one that witnessed their genesis. In recent years, there has been a growing body of scholarship on BGLOs. This book seeks to push those who think about BGLOs to engage in more critically and empirically based analysis. It also seeks to move BGLO members and those who work with them beyond conclusions based on hunches, conventional wisdom, intuition, and personal experience. In addition to a rich range of scholars, the book includes a kind of call and response feature between scholars and prominent members of the BGLO community.Less
At the turn of the twentieth century, black fraternities and sororities, also known as black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs), were an integral part of what W.E.B. Du Bois called the “talented tenth.” This was the top ten percent of the black community that would serve as a cadre of educated, upper-class, motivated individuals who acquired the professional credentials, skills, and capital to assist the race to attain socio-economic parity. Today, however, BGLOs struggle to find their place and direction in a world drastically different from the one that witnessed their genesis. In recent years, there has been a growing body of scholarship on BGLOs. This book seeks to push those who think about BGLOs to engage in more critically and empirically based analysis. It also seeks to move BGLO members and those who work with them beyond conclusions based on hunches, conventional wisdom, intuition, and personal experience. In addition to a rich range of scholars, the book includes a kind of call and response feature between scholars and prominent members of the BGLO community.
Maurice J. Hobson
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781469635354
- eISBN:
- 9781469635378
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469635354.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
This chapter starts with a brief and concise history of Atlanta after the Civil War and the events that influenced the development of post-1965 black Atlanta. A focus on black education is necessary ...
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This chapter starts with a brief and concise history of Atlanta after the Civil War and the events that influenced the development of post-1965 black Atlanta. A focus on black education is necessary to better understand black life in Atlanta and how the black Mecca image came to be. Through education we see how black political kingmakers emerging out of Atlanta’s black upper class began to take shape. Chapter one concludes by examining the Kerner Report, a report commissioned by President Lyndon B. Johnson and overseen by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner that concluded that America was segregated into two societies: one black; one white; moving in opposite directions. However, this chapter challenges that by observing Atlanta and noting that there were numerous black American communities within Atlanta’s black society: those that bolstered the image of a Mecca; and those that did not.Less
This chapter starts with a brief and concise history of Atlanta after the Civil War and the events that influenced the development of post-1965 black Atlanta. A focus on black education is necessary to better understand black life in Atlanta and how the black Mecca image came to be. Through education we see how black political kingmakers emerging out of Atlanta’s black upper class began to take shape. Chapter one concludes by examining the Kerner Report, a report commissioned by President Lyndon B. Johnson and overseen by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner that concluded that America was segregated into two societies: one black; one white; moving in opposite directions. However, this chapter challenges that by observing Atlanta and noting that there were numerous black American communities within Atlanta’s black society: those that bolstered the image of a Mecca; and those that did not.
Ethelene Whitmire
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252038501
- eISBN:
- 9780252096419
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252038501.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
This introductory chapter uses a black feminist theory perspective, and demonstrates how Regina Andrews negotiated her personal, creative, professional, and civic lives by refusing to be limited by ...
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This introductory chapter uses a black feminist theory perspective, and demonstrates how Regina Andrews negotiated her personal, creative, professional, and civic lives by refusing to be limited by traditional roles because of either her race or her gender. The central argument is that Regina resisted racial stereotypes and to a lesser degree challenged expected gender roles too. The chapter argues that her social class (upper-middle) helped to give her the strength, the connections, and the tools to defy the expected conventions of her times. While Regina's biography tells the story of one woman's life, it is illustrative of other New Negro women who belonged to what W. E. B. Du Bois called the Talented Tenth—the small minority of upper-class, educated African Americans whom he believed could uplift the masses out of poverty.Less
This introductory chapter uses a black feminist theory perspective, and demonstrates how Regina Andrews negotiated her personal, creative, professional, and civic lives by refusing to be limited by traditional roles because of either her race or her gender. The central argument is that Regina resisted racial stereotypes and to a lesser degree challenged expected gender roles too. The chapter argues that her social class (upper-middle) helped to give her the strength, the connections, and the tools to defy the expected conventions of her times. While Regina's biography tells the story of one woman's life, it is illustrative of other New Negro women who belonged to what W. E. B. Du Bois called the Talented Tenth—the small minority of upper-class, educated African Americans whom he believed could uplift the masses out of poverty.
Howard Bodenhorn
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199383092
- eISBN:
- 9780199383115
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199383092.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
The Introduction outlines the contents of this book, which is about how color intersected with polity, society and economy in the South in the nineteenth century. Much is known about how early ...
More
The Introduction outlines the contents of this book, which is about how color intersected with polity, society and economy in the South in the nineteenth century. Much is known about how early Americans legally defined and contested race. However, the role of the middle ground occupied by a sizeable mixed-race population of antebellum free people has been largely ignored or downgraded. Here we refer to the “talented tenth” a term later coined by W.E.B. Dubois. The centrality of color and the mixed-race middle have also been overlooked by economists and historians. This text relies on newly collected data to explore how color affected African-American’s lives from cradle to grave. On the plantation, color influenced which slaves were manumitted, which ones ran away, and which were pursued. In freedom, color influenced who married whom, who attended school, the sorts of employment one found, how wealth was accumulated over the life cycle, and how healthy one was. In short, color was manifest in all aspects of African-American life.Less
The Introduction outlines the contents of this book, which is about how color intersected with polity, society and economy in the South in the nineteenth century. Much is known about how early Americans legally defined and contested race. However, the role of the middle ground occupied by a sizeable mixed-race population of antebellum free people has been largely ignored or downgraded. Here we refer to the “talented tenth” a term later coined by W.E.B. Dubois. The centrality of color and the mixed-race middle have also been overlooked by economists and historians. This text relies on newly collected data to explore how color affected African-American’s lives from cradle to grave. On the plantation, color influenced which slaves were manumitted, which ones ran away, and which were pursued. In freedom, color influenced who married whom, who attended school, the sorts of employment one found, how wealth was accumulated over the life cycle, and how healthy one was. In short, color was manifest in all aspects of African-American life.
