In class, we have discussed the “battle” between the
theories of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois during the time of
reconstruction. To sum up their opinions succinctly, I would say that
Washington promoted an education centered on positive, yet separate (from
whites) financial development of African Americans while Dubois posited that blacks
needed a classical education in order to eventually lift the race and prove blacks
and whites equal. From this motive, Dubois gleaned the “Talented Tenth” theory.
This was the idea that one in ten black males could become leaders and bring
the race to justice through further education and a passion for social
transformation.
This theory interests me in a variety of ways; first, I
notice its resemblance to the “Great Man Theory,” or the idea that history is
carried along by the actions of great men (hence, the way our middle and high
school History textbooks were constructed). In this class we have learned that
History, and especially African American History, is not that simple to depict.
When our textbooks would tell us that this
event/situation occurred, and then this event/situation
occurred, and so forth, without explaining whether or not they kept occurring
and if they did, how they affected one another, we were being deprived of the
truth! Now, simply because Dubois thought that the great men would be the ones
to pull African Americans out of the floor of American society doesn’t mean he
accepted the corresponding version of history. However, there are theories that
act as alternatives to the “Great Man” option, and I believe that they have
weight when deciding whether or not Dubois’ theory would have worked had it
been carried out to its fullest extent.
“Local studies,” as we have defined in our notes, give a
local perspective of history. In terms of the way societies and lives are
altered throughout time, some historians have decided that a more accurate way
of looking at the changes and their probable causes is not through the actions
of great political leaders but rather a close examination of individual
societies and their inner workings. We also know that there is a mistake in the
Master Narrative of African American History, one that supposes that blacks
moved in unison when building a new civilization after slavery. For example,
most churches that appeared were created under different conditions and
circumstances, but the generic history textbook simply says: “1000’s of new
black churches were built during reconstruction.”
I am interested in the similarities between the “One Tenth
Theory” and the “Great Man Theory” and I believe that they ultimately tell much
more about one another than I have been able to go into in this post. Hopefully
we will come upon Dubois again so we can capitalize on that opportunity.
Henry, you brought up some interesting points concerning Dubois’ idea of the Talented Tenth and The Great Man theory. As you stated, the traditional idea of great men shaping the world is a common way of portraying history. I really liked how you transitioned from this by describing the difficulty one might encounter when exploring the history of great men who come from a marginalized race. The example you used from Plans Dat Comed from God is a good illustration of this, as the fine details surrounding the expansion of African American churches are often glossed over in an attempt to stick to the master narrative. Overall your connection between Dubois’ idea of the Talented Tenth and the Great Man Theory is a great observation, as well as your description in the differences between the two.
ReplyDeleteHenry, you brought up some interesting points concerning Dubois’ idea of the Talented Tenth and The Great Man theory. As you stated, the traditional idea of great men shaping the world is a common way of portraying history. I really liked how you transitioned from this by describing the difficulty one might encounter when exploring the history of great men who come from a marginalized race. The example you used from Plans Dat Comed from God is a good illustration of this, as the fine details surrounding the expansion of African American churches are often glossed over in an attempt to stick to the master narrative. Overall your connection between Dubois’ idea of the Talented Tenth and the Great Man Theory is a great observation, as well as your description in the differences between the two.
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