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40-556: It was intended to provide support to African Americans working in classic scholarship and the arts, as promoted by W.E.B. Du Bois in his essays about the Talented Tenth , and others of the elite. This was in contrast to Booker T. Washington 's approach to education at Tuskegee University in Alabama, which he led. There he emphasized vocational and industrial training for southern blacks, which he thought were more practical for

80-484: A Talented Tenth of African Americans, primarily composed of blacks trained in classical higher education , could lead in educating masses of black citizens. He knew that most of the latter, who still lived in the rural South, would likely work in rural or unskilled jobs. But he wanted to provide opportunities for blacks who could surpass those limits. Through a publication of works among the Academy's Occasional Papers,

120-525: A classical education to reach their full potential, rather than the industrial education promoted by the Atlanta Compromise , endorsed by Booker T. Washington and some White philanthropists. He saw classical education as the pathway to bettering the Black community and as a basis for what, in the 20th century, would be known as public intellectuals : Men we shall have only as we make manhood

160-452: A large number of the low income families in the U.S., many African Americans face the problem of their children being placed in poorly funded public schools. Because poor funding often leads to poor education, getting into college will be more difficult for students. Along with a poor education, these schools often lack resources that can prepare students for college. For instance, schools with poor funding do not have college guidance counselors:

200-595: A resource that many private and well funded public schools have. Therefore, some argue that Du Bois' prescription or plan for this "Talented Tenth" is unattainable. The Negro Problem (book) The Negro Problem is a collection of seven essays by prominent Black American writers, such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Paul Laurence Dunbar , edited by Booker T. Washington , and published in 1903. It covers law, education, disenfranchisement, and Black Americans' place in American society. Like much of Washington's own work,

240-470: A stereotype either. Furthermore, many of Du Bois' original texts, including The Talented Tenth , receive feminist criticism for exclusively using the word "man", as if only African American men could seek out a college education. According to these feminists, this acts to perpetuate the persistence of a culture that only encourages or allows men to pursue higher education. To be a part of this "Talented Tenth," an African American must be college educated. This

280-487: Is a qualification that many view as unattainable for many members of the African American community because the percentage of African Americans in college is much lower than the percentage of White people in college. There are multiple explanations for this fact. Some argue that this disparity is the result of government policies. For instance, financial aid for college students in low income families decreased in

320-468: The Atlanta Compromise , DuBois responded with his own address, touching on what DuBois believed to be the weaknesses in Washington's argument. Later, while Washington delivered another speech, a man interrupted him, resulting in the man's arrest. DuBois advocated for the man, while Washington held that he should remain in jail. Other such disagreements built between the two authors in the years preceding

360-433: The "Guiding Hundredth" would be open to mending the problems other minority groups were encountering as well. Moreover, Du Bois revised this theory to stress the importance of morality. He wanted the people leading these communities to have values synonymous with altruism and selflessness. Thus, when it came to who would be leading these communities, Du Bois placed morality above education. The "Guiding Hundredth" challenged

400-415: The "Talented Tenth" and the responsibilities assigned to it by Du Bois have been received both positively and negatively by contemporary critics. Positively, some argue that current generations of college-educated African Americans abide by Du Bois' prescriptions by sacrificing their personal interests to lead and better their communities. This, in turn, leads to an "uplift" of those in the Black community. On

440-562: The "Talented Tenth" have changed since Du Bois was alive. One author writes, "The potential Talented Tenth of today is a 'me generation,' not the 'we generation' of the past." That is, the Talented Tenth of today focuses more on its own interests as opposed to the general interests of its racial community. Advocates of Du Bois' ideals believe that African Americans have lost sight of the importance of uplifting their communities. Rather, they have pursued their own interests and now dwell in

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480-548: The 1907 collection The Negro in the South . The Negro Problem and its constituent essays were written in the post-Civil War, Jim Crow era, when African Americans struggled with oppressive laws and systems meant to curb their rights. As White leaders in both the South and the North worked to promote white supremacy , Black leaders sought to redefine and improve their image and identity, through racial uplift ideology. As such,

520-413: The 1980s because problems regarding monetary inequality began to be perceived as problems of the past. A lack of financial aid can deter or disable one from pursuing higher education. Thus, since Black and African-American families make up about 2.9 million of the low income families in the U.S., members of the Black community surely encounter this problem. Moreover, because African Americans make up such

560-430: The Academy's secretary and treasurer. During this time, new membership applications to the Academy were considered, as well as discussions on current business. In the evening, an annual address was delivered. For example, W.E.B. Du Bois presented the Academy's second annual address. A presentation of a paper would follow. The following day, after several paper presentations, discussions took place. Discussions centered around

600-479: The African American community meant many things for Du Bois. For one, he believed that the "Talented Tenth" should seek to acquire elite roles in politics. By doing so, Black communities could have representation in government. Representation in government would allow these college educated African Americans to take "racial action." That is, Du Bois believed that segregation was a problem that needed to be dealt with, and having African Americans in politics would start

640-758: The Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst. Later in Dusk of Dawn , a collection of his writings, Du Bois redefines this notion, acknowledging contributions by other men. He writes that "my own panacea of an earlier day was a flight of class from mass through the development of the Talented Tenth; but the power of this aristocracy of talent was to lie in its knowledge and character, not in its wealth." Du Bois believed that college educated African Americans should set their personal interests aside and use their education to better their communities. Using education to better

680-406: The South, who were being disenfranchised by white-dominated legislatures, who also imposed Jim Crow laws. The Academy generally held an annual meeting of one-two days at Lincoln Temple United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. The public was invited to attend all but the Academy's business meetings, reserved solely for members. The schedule would occupy the entire day. Reports were presented by

720-428: The Talented Tenth . In his analysis of a collection of private letters written by Crummell, Moss said that nearly from the beginning, the Academy was bound to decline. It was unable to consistently organize; it struggled to recruit new members, and especially to raise scholarship funds for the education of more students. Moss claims that founding member Archibald Henry Grimké expressed in his writings an understanding of

760-403: The ability to become leaders of the Black community by acquiring a college education, writing books, and becoming directly involved in social change . In The Talented Tenth, Du Bois argues that these college educated African American men should sacrifice their personal interests and use their education to lead and better the Black community. He strongly believed that the Black community needed

800-448: The difficulties and socio-economic hardships among African Americans, but, given efforts to unseat him as ANA president, he spent more effort on self-serving interests. Talented Tenth The talented tenth is a term that designated a leadership class of African Americans in the early 20th century. Although the term was created by white Northern philanthropists, it is primarily associated with W. E. B. Du Bois , who used it as

840-508: The effects of racial discrimination. In contrast, those not in favor of Du Bois' prescriptions believe that African Americans have the right to pursue their own interests. Feminist critics specifically, and critics of Du Bois in general, tend to believe that marginalized groups are often "put in boxes" and are expected to either remain within those constructs or abide by their stereotypes. These critics believe that what an African American decides to do with their college education should not become

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880-530: The efficacy of a scholar's musings. Copies of papers were available upon requests made directly to the Academy's secretary, or through newspaper requests. The ANA was part of the early struggle for equal rights for blacks , seeking to support their academic efforts. It was organized shortly after the United States Supreme Court had upheld the principle of "separate but equal" in the 1896 case, Plessy v. Ferguson . DuBois suggested that

920-524: The essays within The Negro Problem reflect this desire for Black uplift. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, two of the more notable authors featured in The Negro Problem , had a long professional history both preceding and following the publication of the book. Their clashing ideologies led to immense discourse between both the authors and those subscribing to their ideologies. For example, following Washington's Atlanta address, now known as

960-411: The fruits of their "financial gain and strivings." Although the percentage of college-educated African Americans has gone up, it is still far less than the percentage of college-educated White Americans. Therefore, these advocates believe that modern-day members of the "Talented Tenth" should still bear responsibility to use their education to help the African American community, which continues to suffer

1000-477: The goal of establishing Black colleges in the South to train Black teachers and elites. In 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois wrote The Talented Tenth; Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States and industrialization was skyrocketing. Du Bois thought it was a good time for African Americans to advance their positions in society. The "Talented Tenth" refers to the one in ten Black men that have cultivated

1040-555: The group wanted to expand the reach of its scholarship. As Crummel said, to aid the black intellectual's efforts to have influence on "his schools, academies and colleges; and then enters his pulpits; and so filters down into his families and his homes…to be a laborer with intelligence, enlightenment and manly ambitions". Scholars have disputed the influence of the Academy. Dr. Alfred A. Moss Jr. argued for its efficacy in The American Negro Academy: Voice of

1080-426: The idea that a plan for political action would need to be evident in order to continue to speak to large populations of black people. In Du Bois' view, black people's ability to express themselves in politics was the epitome of black cultural expression. To gain emancipation was to separate Black and White. The cultures could not combine as a way to avoid and protect the spirit of "the universal black." The concept of

1120-455: The least to lose that we should look to for our steadfast, dependable and uncompromising leadership." Du Bois writes in his Talented Tenth essay 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

1160-790: The lives that most blacks would live in the rural, segregated South. The founders of the ANA were primarily authors, scholars, and artists. They included Alexander Crummell , an Episcopal priest and Republican from New York City, who had also worked in Liberia for two decades and founded the first independent black Episcopal church in Washington, DC; John Wesley Cromwell of Washington, DC; Paul Laurence Dunbar , poet and writer in Washington; Walter B. Hayson ; Archibald Grimké (brother of Francis), attorney and writer; and scientist Kelly Miller . Crummell served as founding president. Their first meeting on March 5, 1897 included eighteen members: The Academy

1200-403: The mainstream business world. In 1948, Du Bois revised his "Talented Tenth" thesis into the "Guiding Hundredth". This revision was an attempt to democratize the thesis by forming alliances and friendships with other minority groups that also sought to better their conditions in society. Whereas the "Talented Tenth" only pointed out problems that African Americans were facing in their communities,

1240-700: The object of the work of the schools — intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to it — this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which must underlie true life. On this foundation we may build bread winning, the skill of hand and quickness of brain, with never a fear lest the child and man mistake the means of living for the object of life. In his later life, Du Bois came to believe that leadership could arise on many levels, and grassroots efforts were also important to social change. His stepson David Du Bois tried to publicize those views, writing in 1972: "Dr. Du Bois' conviction that it's those who suffered most and have

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1280-414: The other hand, some argue that current generations of college educated African Americans should not abide by Du Bois' prescriptions, and should indeed pursue their own private interest. That is, they believe that college-educated African Americans are not responsible for bettering their communities, whereas Du Bois thinks that they are. Advocates of Du Bois' prescriptions explain that key characteristics of

1320-448: The process of dealing with that problem. Moving on, he also believed that an education would allow one to pursue business endeavors that would better the economic welfare of Black communities. According to Du Bois, success in business would not only better the economic welfare of Black communities, it would also encourage White people to see Black people as more equal to them, and thus encourage integration and allow African Americans to enter

1360-403: The proposition that the salvation of African Americans should be left to a select few. It reimagined the concept of black leadership from "The Talented Tenth" by combining racial, cultural, political, and economic ideologies. Without much success, Du Bois tried to keep the idea of education around. Taking on a new approach of education being a gateway to new opportunities for all people. However, it

1400-510: The publication of The Negro Problem. Charles W. Chesnutt also had a long professional history preceding and following the publication of The Negro Problem. He was widely known for his first nationally recognized short story, "The Goophered Grapevine," which was the first short story written by a Black person that appeared in The Atlantic Monthly . In 1883, Chesnutt and his family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. There he passed

1440-543: The state bar examination and established his own court reporting firm. Chesnutt continued to write and publish stories during the latter years of his life but he was largely eclipsed in the 1920s by the writers of the Harlem Renaissance . Wilford Horace Smith was an American lawyer who specialized in constitutional law. He was the first African American lawyer to win a case before the Supreme Court of

1480-578: The title of an influential essay, published in 1903. It appeared in The Negro Problem , a collection of essays written by leading African Americans and assembled by Booker T. Washington . The phrase "talented tenth" originated in 1896 among White Northern liberals, specifically the American Baptist Home Mission Society , a Christian missionary society strongly supported by John D. Rockefeller . They had

1520-425: The tone of the book was that Black Americans' social status in the United States was a matter of personal responsibility, but it also confronted issues of legal and social racism. While this represented the point of view of the authors at the time, some—Du Bois, for example—would later revise their stance to consider the effects of systemic and institutional racism . Washington and Du Bois were again reunited in

1560-421: Was organized in 1897 in Washington, D.C. Black newspapers expressed excitement that the Academy would have possibilities to serve a large audience, seeking to elevate the race through educational enlightenment. Through an assessment of statistical trends, mainly concerning black illiteracy, the Academy planned its work to be published in its Occasional Papers. The scholarly contributions aided the spirit of blacks in

1600-543: Was viewed as a step in the wrong direction, a threat of reverting to the old ways of thinking, and continued to promote elitism. This revision while also being an attempt at democratization of the original thesis, was also Du Bois' attempt at creating a program for African Americans to follow after the war, a way to strengthen their "ideological conscience." Du Bois emphasized forming alliances with other minority groups because it helped promote equality among all blacks. Both "The Talented Tenth" and "The Guiding Hundredth" exhibit

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