This is a historical study of W. E. B. Du Bois’s quest to challenge scientific racism by educating Black Americans on Negro history and culture at the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library. W. E. B. Du Bois discovered that the silence and neglect of science had distorted and erased the truth regarding the history and culture of the Black race. Thus, he believed that it was his duty to change the perception of the Black race contrary to how science had defined it. Du Bois used the 135th Street Branch Library in its role in the Harlem community as an urban repository and a center for Black studies to educate the Black masses on Negro history and culture. To show that Blacks were not of an inferior race, Du Bois provided evidence to counter the claims of science. Du Bois developed an empirical framework based on social scientific research of Blacks in cities and engaged the scientific community on both the domestic and international fronts. This study examined the historical relationship between the evolution of Du Bois’s thinking on race and science and his “anti-racialism,” exemplified in two critical moments in his career: his attendance at the First Universal Race Congress in London and his work at the 135th Street Branch Library. The aim of this research was (a) to explain the history of scientific racism as it relates to the intellectual development of Du Bois’s thinking on race and science; (b) to understand Du Bois’s role in Harlem and how the 135th Street Branch library was a part of it, and (c) to describe the issues in the history of urbanization, cities, and race and how they relate to Du Bois and to Harlem. Historical research was applied in the form of (a) archives; (b) primary and secondary sources, such as articles, newspaper clippings, and monographs; (c) audiovisual materials, such as photos; and (d) observations. Validity and reliability of the findings derive from these multiple data sources. This work contributes to research in the fields of history, education, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, and urban studies.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Urban Systems
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_8158
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (xxxvi, 265 p.)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Subject
Name (authority = LCNAF)
NamePart (type = personal)
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Racism--United States
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Deirdre Foreman
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - Newark Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10002600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.