Reading the article “Strivings of the Negro People” written by W.E.B Du Bois who was an established educated African American at the time. He wrote important works of history and essays. And was also a political leader. In this article he spoke about the progress of colored people over the periods of time. Throughout history blacks or African Americans were denied opportunities that were given to those that were white. This could be the basic of opportunities that led to a lifetime of hardship and generational cycles. He uses examples and experiences from his very own childhood and to show how cruel other races could be as kids and how it was taught from an early age that white was superior. He also believed that African Americans were fortunate to be African American because he felt that mean we had “double consciousness” and could understand both perspectives. Due to us being US citizens and the other half of us being from our African descent would let them see the strengths and weaknesses of being of the American society from both ends.
Du Bois explains how hard it is to try to grow as man when you’re of African American descent without choosing one over the other. There are no schools that would barely accept blacks and if you got through school there were no jobs that would hire you. This left African Americans getting low paying poor jobs which kept them in poverty. They didn’t have anything to pass down to their family or kids which lead to generations of poverty. Du Bois believes that a race that was held back for so long shouldn’t be compared to the world yet moving at our own pace and given specific opportunities that are denied every day. At that time the south was ran by white supremacy and was segregated. So as a black man you couldn’t even provide for your family correctly.
I believe his target audience was the white community or discourse communities such as schools, lawyers, senators, and the government that play a part in blocking opportunities for the African American race. The issue in his article is that blacks were and are constantly denied the same opportunities to succeed in America causing a lifetime of generational poverty and overall growth of a race. He provided claims by giving examples of job and educational opportunities denied from blacks. I believe his goal in this article was to convince the white man of the unjust behavior going on in America and how it effects these races and why it needs to change.
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