Question

W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk – In articulating the American Negro's desire to "attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self," Du Bois says that blacks in America have a particular goal (NAAL9C p.922). Which of the following phrases best expresses that goal?

1) The American Negro wants to Africanize America.
2) The American Negro aims to make a person's blood irrelevant.
3) The American Negro desires to assimilate into white America.
4) The American Negro wishes to be both black and American.

Answer 1

W. E. B. Du Bois envisioned a world where the American Negro can be both black and American without facing discrimination, seeking an inclusive society that values dual identities.

Step-by-step explanation:

In The Souls of Black Folk, W. E. B. Du Bois articulates the goal of the American Negro, which is to combine their dual identity into a cohesive self. This goal is best expressed by the phrase: The American Negro wishes to be both black and American.

Du Bois rejects the notions of Africanizing America or assimilating into white America; instead, he envisions a society where one's race would not prevent them from being American and where Black individuals can fully express both aspects of their identity without discrimination.

He seeks an end to the systemic barriers that prevent Blacks from achieving their full potential, yearning for a world where they can coexist without being demeaned or denied opportunity.