Education and Economic Prosperity and Black Progress

The first stream of thought is the unity of all men. Du Bois points out that "the multiplying of human wants in culture-lands calls for the world-wide cooperation of men in satisfying them," creating a need for "a new human unity" that "pull[s] the ends of the earth nearer, and all men, black, yellow, and white." The second stream of thought is that the Negro is "somewhere between men and cattle," a "clownish, simple creature" that might someday become a man (Du Bois). Du Bois's sarcasm in describing this perspective is palpable, and he adds that the chances of the Negro breaking through to become men are slim because "we build about them walls so high, and hang between them and the light a veil so thick, that they shall not even think of breaking through." The third stream of thought is that the black men wonder if "the World is right and we are less than men?" (Du Bois).

Du Bois points out that all three streams of thought meet their answer in education. He asserts that they can be met "by the breadth and broadening of human reason, by catholicity of taste and culture" (Du Bois). Du Bois states categorically, "And so, in this great question of reconciling three vast and partially contradi