W.E.B. Du Bois's Evolving Africana Philosophy Of Education

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze W.E.B. Du Bois's educational thought for its key contributions to contemporary Africana philosophy of education. To succinctly explore Du Bois's philosophy of education, the article outlines some of the ways his pedagogical theories and practices are inextricable from, and virtually incomprehensible without critically considering, his philosophy of history, concepts of culture, economic thought, and social and political philosophy. Arguing that many scholars have both masked and marred Du Bois's contributions to philosophy of education by focusing almost exclusively on his "talented tenth" theory, this study examines his educational thought after he produced the classic, "The Talented Tenth" (1903), essay. The article advances that Du Bois's revision of the talented tenth into a theory of the "guiding hundredth," which stresses struggle, sacrifice and service, group leadership, and African historical and cultural grounding, provides Africana philosophy of education with a pedagogical paradigm and provocative point of departure.

The Souls of Black Radical Folk

“…For a few of the more noteworthy histories of the Frankfurt School and their philosophical project and various sociopolitical programs, see Bernstein (1995), Bottomore (1985), Bubner (1988), Dews (1987), Guess (1981), Held (1980), Ingram (1990), Jay (1996), Kellner (1989), McCarthy (1991, McCarthy and Hoy (1994), Morrow (1994), O'Neill (1976, Rasmussen (1999), Rasmussen and Swindal (2004), Stirk (2000), Thompson (1990), andWiggerhaus (1995). And, for further discussion of the Africana critical theory project, see Rabaka (2002Rabaka ( , 2003aRabaka ( , 2003bRabaka ( , 2003cRabaka ( , 2003dRabaka ( , 2004Rabaka ( , 2006). …”

‘To break asunder along the lesions of race’. The Critical Race Theory of W.E.B. Du Bois

“…Du Bois is one of the major African American scholars of the twentieth century, yet the impact of his ideas on the intellectual currents of African American education in particular (Alridge 1999a(Alridge , 1999bDunn 1993), and social theory in general (Rabaka 2003) are often insufficiently understood. When one considers the fact that Du Bois' scholarship and activism spans a broad array of subject matter, ideologies, and methods including Pan-Africanism, African American Nationalism, class inequality, sexism, the intractability of racism, literary production, cultural analysis, and so forth it becomes evident that the residual effects of this contribution could hardly be fleeting.…”

Learning to be black : the Afrocentric "word" as anti-racism mobilization in Salvador, Brazil

“…"African philosophy of education" that Dubois (1903) is seen as campaigning for in his early 20 th century works (Rabaka 2003), the Afrocentric education that various segments of the Brazilian Black movement or movimento negro, 2 in Salvador were both advocating and organizing for, sought to emphasize race and class intersections that were intrinsic to the Afro-Brazilian 'problem.' The material manifestations of this Black situation were seen to necessitate "struggle, sacrifice, service, group leadership and [above all] African historical and cultural grounding" (Rabaka 2003: 399).…”

“…While speaking from and positioned in different African diaspora contexts, the same type of Africentrism provoked alterities were envisioned by DuBois (1903), Biko (2002Biko ( [1978) and Fanon (2008Fanon ( [1952). Rabaka (2003) argues that for DuBois, "one of the most pressing problems confronting persons of African origin and descent and humanity as a whole [was] the problem of education" (Rabaka 2003:399). For these Black intellectuals, literacy was an imperative since it was recognized as an important vehicle for both personal and collective ascension.…”

“…By means of a dialogical and problem-posing "violence of ideas" (Rodrigues 1999:44), this new Black "word" is rewriting this "world." At its best, Rabaka (2003) argues that "Africana education must not simply expose and introduce us and others to African history and culture as well as African thought, belief, and value systems and traditions, but it must also aid us in our efforts to engage, explore and ethically alter the world in our own and other struggling peoples best interest" (Rabaka 2003:418). The space that the movimento negro has created to allow, for example, Indigenous groups to contest for more political spaces, has illustrated the wide reach of its advocacy.…”