The Social Theory of W.E.B. Du Bois

Emancipatory Empiricism: The Rural Sociology of W.E.B. Du Bois

“…Embodying Marable’s Black intellectual tradition, Du Bois understood the social construction of racial categories by linking his academic training and lived experiences as a Black man (Du Bois 1968; Marable 1986, 2013; Morris 2015; Rabaka 2010; Williams 2006; Zuckerman 2004). Marable (1986) described this tradition as a link between the lived experiences of African American scholars and the foci and goals of their research.…”

“…The emancipatory empiricism of Du Bois’ sociology truly champions this framework. Raised in New England and living in the American South both before and after he lived in Germany, Du Bois’ varying experiences of racial inequality directed his research toward the link between race and social development (Du Bois 1968; Williams 2006; Zuckerman 2004). Du Bois traveled extensively throughout Europe while living in Germany and described various social interactions as unencumbered by the weight of racial discrimination and prejudice he experienced in America (Du Bois 1968:160).…”

The Early Social Science of W. E. B. Du Bois

“…In Dusk of Dawn, an interesting combination of autobiography and academic treatise on race, Du Bois explained, "where I studied, what I wrote and what I could get published-all this depended and depended primarily upon an overwhelming mass of my fellow citizens in the United States, from whose society I was largely excluded"~Du Bois 1940b, Chapter 6, p. 653!. Du Bois was not considered, until recently, to be germinal to the development of sociology in the United States~Green and Driver, 1978;Zuckerman 2004!. In Du Bois's words, "We rated merely as Negroes studying Negroes, and after all, what had Negroes to do with America or science? "~Du Bois 1968, Chapter XIII, p. 228!. Over time, Du Bois has become more accepted as one of the founders of American sociology~Marable 1986, p. 28;Marable 2004;Wortham 2005;Wright 2002aWright , 2002bWright , 2005!.…”

Say It Loud: An Action Research Project Examining the Afrivisual and Africology, Looking for Alternative African American Community College Teaching Strategies

“…In New York during the 1940s, African American leaders complained to city school officials that "racist," untruthful, and deceitful lies continued to be told about Blacks in history textbooks (Zuckerman, 2004). During the 1960s, African Americans used the social psychology discourse emanating from the Brown ruling.…”

“…During the 1960s, African Americans used the social psychology discourse emanating from the Brown ruling. They argued that American textbooks damaged Black self-concept, Black self-identification, and also Black self-esteem (Zuckerman, 2004 (Bailey, 2005;Harris, 2003).…”