W.E.B. Dubois "A Nation Within A Nation" June 26, 1934 The Blackman Read Aloud Hour Project

W.E.B Du Bois, a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) through most of his life was a staunch integrationist.  In 1934 however he advanced the argument that since integration would not happen in the nation any time soon, African Americans had to take steps to develop their own economic and political resources independent of white help and support.  Du Bois gave this speech on June 26, 1934 as he resigned from the NAACP. This morning’s Project Uplift Literacy, In Their Words My Voice again revisits the words of W.E.B. DuBois one of the greatest intellectual freedom warriors that this nation ever produced no matter his/her color or creed.

So, after being solely an integrationist for his entire life DuBois finally came to the conclusion that America would never allow any for of equality in this country. Twenty years later the Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal was unconstitutional in the historic Brown decision. Still 66 years later the nation is operating as two America’s although the inequity is economic in many ways. There still is a racial inequity between whites and blacks. 86 years after this speech an unequal Nation within a prosperous Nation is defined by color, education and wealth. Celebrating the birthday of W.E. B DuBois 152 years today.