posted by Mari Christmas

on May 30, 2007

This past Friday I started reading the Philadelphia Negro, Du Bois' analysis and criticism of the social conditions of the African American in Philadelphia. It is incredibly dense and well researched. His perspective on the issues at hand, the social ills of the 7th ward as a symptom and not as the cause of social degeneration, is pointed and clear. At the time of the publication his findings and conclusions were incredibly controversial claims to make, he points to stereotyping, racism, social ostracism, and a numerous amount of other psychological factors as definitive to the problem's context but also very serious criticisms of the white and immigrant class. He is eloquent and thoughtful and at other times, harsh, skeptical and angry. He studied so many facets of the community -- family, income, labor unions, single mothers, gender norms, education, immigration... It is incredible to read this social study because he puts everything on the table and shows how everything has contributed to the whole and the concept of the African American community at the time.

I really enjoyed reading his analysis of gender norms. I have been interested in gender norms in immigrant and migrant families and have read significant research on the shift of gender norm especially in Mexico. I found some of the same social ills that migrant/immigrant families and women face as deeply connected to the struggles of African American families and especially African American women that Du Bois depicts in the Philadelphia Negro. The lack of jobs for males and the increase of jobs for females shifts the traditional societal gender norms of both the African American community and the overarching societal gender norms and puts an extra strain on familial relations but preserves the gender norms of the white families at the time. I am incredibly interested in this because with immigration and migration policies, America is changing the communities of those abroad that aren't "American" and forcing them into a cultural context that it both pulls them from their own cultural norms but also pushes away them away from the "American" cultural norms.

I am discovering Du Bois' research, analysis, and criticism speaking to the social problems of now and his voice is quite timeless and strong. His dedication to marginalized communities makes his work deeply relevant to the issues of today it becomes even more important that we continually translate his words and apply them to our concept of social justice.