Reading
DuBois, W. E. B. (1899). The scope of this study. In The Philadelphia Negro: A social study (pp. 1-4). New York, NY: Schocken Books. [Ch. 1]
DuBois, W. E. B. (1899). The problem. In The Philadelphia Negro: A social study (pp. 5-9). New York, NY: Schocken Books. [Ch. 2]
DuBois, W. E. B. (1899). The Negro in Philadelphia, 1638 – 1820. In The Philadelphia Negro: A social study (pp. 10-24). New York, NY: Schocken Books. [Ch. 3]
DuBois, W. E. B. (1899). The Negro in Philadelphia, 1820 – 1896. In The Philadelphia Negro: A social study (pp. 25-45). New York, NY: Schocken Books. [Ch. 4]
Background
W.E.B. DuBois (1868 – 1963) was one of the most prominent Black scholars and activists of the 20th century. He received his bachelor’s degree from Fisk University and a doctorate from Harvard. He subsequently worked at Wilberforce University, University of Pennsylvania, and Atlanta University. During his initial tenure in academia, he conducted ground-breaking sociological studies, organized exhibitions, and was a co-founder of the Niagara Movement and the NAACP. DuBois published academic works, novels, essays, and three autobiographies. As his career progressed, he was increasingly active in anti-racism efforts, as well as politics, including an unsuccessful bid for the US Senate in 1950.
DuBois became affiliated with the socialist party and traveled extensively, seeking to understand alternative political philosophies. At the end of his life, he moved to Ghana to work on an encyclopedia of the African Diaspora, which was never published.
For more information, refer to the video and slides from class.
Questions
- Describe Dubois’s purpose for undertaking this study.
- Describe the methods that DuBois used to conduct this study. Draw from your discussion in the Qualitative Research course.
- Discuss how DuBois establishes the study’s credibility. Do you find it credible?
- Summarize DuBois’s perspective on the “Negro problem.”
- Describe at least three aspects of the history of Blacks in Philadelphia that surprised you or that you want to know more about. How have each of these historical events influenced Philadelphia today (if at all)?