Friday, March 11, 2011
The Lesson of the Hour
Frederick Douglas gives this speech criticism of how the blacks are being treated now, and gives a major focus on the lynchings happening in the south, which is obviously the most horrific even to focus on. Honestly I cannot remember the speech as well as I would have hoped, but one thing I do remember sticking out in my mind was how vast and extensive the vocab was in his speech for a black man who educated himself, especially in this time period. But I think for me to honestly get the full effect of this speech I need to read it all so I can subtract the over done aspect from the movie we watched.
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Douglass was angry because all of the things that he thought were won by the war were being taken back. You would find it interesting to read Dubois's work all the way through, because he analyzes the problems in the south after the war. He blames part of the garbage on the racism of the southern people, part of it on the excesses of the northern moneyed interests, part on some immigrants. He does not play down the horrors of the slavery system and all of its implications, but he does not allow others who contribute to the continuing misery a free pass either. 'The Souls of Black Folk' is a learned and penetrating work. Douglass has spent his life to gain freedom and rights for Black people, but the world is taking back all of those gains.
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