Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No.1, 2022 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet ISSN 2576-1846 (Print) ISSN 2576-1854 (Online) 1 Original Paper William Dubois’s Sociology of Empowerment, and Black Male Feminism, As a Source of Black Women Empowerment Mušić Lejla1 1 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Political Sciences Sarajevo, Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina Received: December 13, 2021 Accepted: December 30, 2021 Online Published: January 21, 2022 doi:10.22158/fet.v5n1p1 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/fet.v5n1p1 Abstract Famous for black feminism, Sociology of Empowerment, and Black Female Emancipation, glorified inside his very celebrated Museum exhibits, that includes the multimedia representations inherited inside the freedom of Speech, Vote, and debates around the discrimination of Black Females: “Du Bois’s limited views of black women, inhibit his ability to imagine African American women, as race leaders”. Du Bois adopts a paternalistic stance, as he simultaneously admires, and pities black womanhood. The black women characters he presents in The Souls of Black Folk, are predominantly struggling, overburdened, physically attractive women, who are nevertheless able to support black men. McCaskill notes, “Paradoxically, African-American jmen were impressed into a patriarchy, that disclaimed women’s equality to men, in the political, and professional spheres, while simultaneously mythologizing this same sisterhood’s moral, and domestic superiority, over their brothers (p. 23)”. Du Bois’s descriptions of Black women, unintentionally, re-inscribed patriarchal ideals, as he sought racial equality. This research focuses onto the important notion of Black feminism, that William DuBois was the ancestor, to the Black Feminist movement. These ideas are confirmed, inside the Empirical results, that are based on analyses of opinions, about the DuBois’s influence in the Contemporary, by Youth Sociologists. 1. Black Women Emancipation in the DuBois’s Theory To DuBois, black women held moral power over men, and thrived in the domestic sphere (p. 24). “The Damnation of Women,” similarly, to this letter, finds that the black women’s damnation, lies in their inability to be deemed respectable, delicate, and worthy of the same admiration, as white women. Yet unlike his 1920 essay, the letter demonstrates, that as of 1906, Du Bois had not yet articulated how www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 2 Published by SCHOLINK INC. racism affected black women’s political, or economic standing. His analyses of race, and gender were limited to black women’s representation, and their need for protection. The foundation of Black feminist sociology Ida Wells-Barnett, and Anna Julia Cooper made the radical social change in biographies, history, and Sociology. They envisioned the African-American female life’s, and as a contemporaries, they founded the sociology of African-American Women, with the special focus towards their real, and practical experiences (Lengermann & Niebrugge, 1998; pp. 149-184). 2. Black Feminism, and Black Male Feminism William DuBois is considered to be ancestor of Black Feminist thought. Black feminism was branch of broader feminist movement, that was supporting Black Women Emancipation, Black Women’s Vote, but it also supported the family as a locus of support for men, and Women of color. In opposition to Radical feminist notion, that the family is a locus of female oppression. In his book, Dark water: Voices from within the Weil, DuBois questions the suffrage, and the Women rights stating: “England has granted the suffrage for Women” (1920, p. 787), and while as writing about Black Women suffrage DuBois exemplifies: “the experiment of Negro suffrage, has resulted in the uplift of 12 million people, at rate probably unparalleled in history” (1920, p. 572). Further, in his explanation DuBois elaborates, that American democracy had failed because non granting the rights to Black people: “Up Whites, down Blacks to Your tents. O White Folks and War with Blacks, and parti-colored mongrel Beasts” (1920, p. 572). The Souls of Black Folk, is the prime foundation for African-American Studies. In this fundamental work, DuBois discusses the Declaration of Independence: “Here was defenseless people, suddenly made free” (2013, p. 873)! William DuBois was part of group of intellectuals, with Ida Wells Barnett: “Because of its antidesegregation stance, and it’s radical (Agitation) philosophy”. History has all but forgotten, that the league not only acted as a political body, but as an organized “Black school of thought.” Meetings, and publications of the AAL, “became the battle ground for conflicting Black leadership philosophies, [which] provided debating platform, for the seminal leadership ideals, of not only Fortune himself, but of W. E. B. DuBois, William Monroe Trotter, Booker T. Washington, Bishop Alexander Walters, Ida Wells-Barnett, and several others, not so well remembered today.” Understanding the Afro-American League as an active, organized, and verifiable intellectual school of thought, gives present day Scholar, a clearer picture, of the agitation philosophy, endorsed by Wells-Barnett, while simultaneously highlighting the divergent postbellum political theories, against integration, and white participation, in racial struggle (2012, p. 467). William DuBois wrote letters with famous antilynching activist, and sociologist Ida Wells Barnett, and corresponded to suffragette Mary Church Terrell. Both of them were part of Black Women’s clubs, and The National Association of Colored Women. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 3 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 3. Empirical Investigation Sample group was MA students in Sociology. The research was conducted in January 2021. The 80% of students were females, 20% were male students. Graph 1. DuBois’s Sociology 1) Do You know What kind of Sociology did DuBois advanced? All of the examinees responded, that they do know, additionally giving following descriptions to their responses: William DuBois was an American activist for the Human Rights, as well as the founder, and the General Secretary of an Afro-American Protestant group, and the founder of the National Society for the Advancement of Colored People. DuBois elevated the question of Black people, later on racial problems, that was central for his work. For Sociology, the analyses of the nature of Social problem, by DuBois, as well as the Black people problems, are grounded theories. His social-constructivist writings on race, and racial differences, as well as his development of the position, that the mechanism of power, constructs structure the relation of social domination. DuBois was great suffrage supporter, he advocated the suffragette in his essay, in his early beginnings. I think that DuBois championed Black People equal rights, and equal rights of all. DuBois was Equal Rights Activist, he fought against racism, for Black People Equal Rights. DuBois patronized the Equality of all people, without Superiority, of any race over the Other, he eliminated all the differences. He was activist for Civil Rights of Black Women, endorsed Sociology in field of racism, and race. I learned about William DuBois, only recently, since I am into media. I have only begun to discover sociology, in wider scientifically sense, and he was interested in “live” sociology, that would not concern only with theory, but empirical investigations, as well, agitation, protesting, attentively transparent fascination in founding the solution to the problem, predominantly of Black Women, and Men. I have read in Brittanica, that DuBois was forerunner of the Black nationalism, Pan Africanism, and culture logical nationalism. DuBois raised the Black People Equity, and Equality. 2) What is the DuBois’s importance for feminism? www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 4 Published by SCHOLINK INC. The feminist critics evaluated Dubois’s work differently, and relaunched with the critic of his opinion, that black women are intellectuals, and race leaders, including the women equality acknowledgment, and contribution to our understanding of Black Women, and recognition to our awareness of Black Women marginalization. With “Damnation of Women”, he supported their security. DuBois fought for the Black People’s Rights, and the Education, and he was advocate for Black Women’s Rights, and centers around the Women. Black Feminist consider DuBois as preeminent ancestor. The Dubois’s importance in his work, where the “Souls of Black Folk”, consider to be the most important work in the History of Sociology. The book is consisted of several essays on race, and feminist support. During his lifetime, DuBois was a Black Women’s advocate. He focused to women, mother, activist, and workers, but not on their intellect. Because of that, today’s feminist favor his importance, even though they derider some of his atrocities, in the relation to Gender, even though he was a Great agitator of Women’s Rights, and was into the Black, and racial questions, and was a Human rights Apostle. I presume that he defended feminism, and Black Women, and was a Human Rights proponent, notwithstanding of his certain points around Gender. DuBois put Women on to pedestal, and thought that they are equally important as men. Sociologist DuBois opens his own male perspective on Black Women’s Rights. Graph 2. DuBois’s Feminism Importance 3) Do You agree with DuBois’s feminist points? 60% of students stated that they support DuBois’s feminist points, and gave following explanations: DuBois is very important for the formation of our understanding of the Black Women discrimination. One of the students, partially agrees with DuBois’s feminist ideas, exiled in programs from 1903 to 1920, activists for Black Women’s Rights. The group of students that do not agree with DuBois’s feminist ideas (30%) give following additional description: Leaving aside the author preciseness, there are always very large digressions, and omissions, that are not agreeable. DuBois overexposed the ideas of Women, and Birth. There is not enough information about his Theory. Black people are facing racial stereotypes, in the contemporary, too. Example of that is the recent Floyd’s case, that exemplary shows, that there are problems, in the www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 5 Published by SCHOLINK INC. relation to race, still mirroring the age of slavery. Most of the respondents, 50% responded that Dubois’s positions are implemented in the Contemporary, in the field of work, gender, and Black Women’s rights. DuBois patrons the fight against discrimination, freedom, and Human rights, altogether with tendentiousness for achieving the equality. Graph 3. DuBois’s position Graph. 4. The importance of William DuBois, Black Sociologist, in Contemporary Sociology www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 6 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 4) Do You find that William DuBois is the most significant Black sociologist in Contemporary Sociology The most of the examinees responded (60%) that William DuBois is the most eminent Black sociologist, in the Contemporary, additionally explaining their arguments for it: DuBois was the first Black sociologist that gained PhD, and become professor of Sociology, History, and Religion at Atlanta University, he founded Black Community, negated the racial, and Other differences, emphasizing that there has to be difference, in between the Scientific Goals, and the experimental use of the results by “all”, as an American Black Sociologist, he promoted Black culture, and Education, as an author, editor, socialist, sociologist. Other part of the group (20%) responded that they think that Martin Luther King, is the most important Black sociologist. 5) Do You know something about the Historical importance of William DuBois? All of the examinees (100%) had responded that they know about Historical importance of the DuBois, in the Contemporary Sociology. They gave following descriptions: DuBois partaken in the First Universal Congress of races, in London, and wrote the First Black African History, that was used as a pan-dan for the black rights revolution, in Africa. Through the critic of Society, DuBois championed the Rights of Minorities, and Marginalized groups. American Sociologist, that was very influential in Black culture, editor, author, with great appreciation in support of Black people Education, and Culture. As a Negro Movement Leader, DuBois fought for the Black people equality, non discrimination. As a founder in sociology, for Racial studies, as a very engaged empiricist, DuBois emphasized the importance of researches and investigations, as well as data analysis, for the Sociology. DuBois is important for Sociology, and Psychology. DuBois championed Black Human Rights, and as a patron influenced the Sociology of Empowerment, and Emancipation of all marginalized: Black Women, Black Men, and Minority groups. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 7 Published by SCHOLINK INC. Photo 1. Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum, Holly Springs (available at:https://www.djournal.com/news/leona-harris-director-of-ida-b-wells-museum/article_0540a0ec-819c -5c1f-ad4c-86eb31f9fbf9.html, accessed on 12.10.2021.) 4. Conclusion This paper had shown, that the importance of William DuBois’s Sociology of Empowerment, Black Male Feminism, and Black Women Emancipation, in the idea of Black feminist movement, that DuBois represents the ancestor for Black Feminist Thought. All of the examinees noted the importance of DuBois’s thought for Contemporary, and all of them stated the multiple different roles, in the society that he had, and described the emancipatory social positions, and actions that he promoted, in championing the Democratic, and Egalitarian perspective for Women Human Rights. The most of the examinees stated that DuBois patronized the Equality of all people, without Superiority, of any race over the Other, he eliminated all the differences. He was activist for Civil Rights of Black Women, endorsed Sociology in field of racism, and race. DuBois’ s House Museum, and William DuBois’s Historical site near New York, as well as William Dubois’s Memorial Centre for Pan African culture in Accra, Ghana along with Ida Wells Barnett Museum in Holy Springs, Mississippi, represent the preeminent archeological sociological sites, for cultural, and academic visits, that celebrate the Black male feminism, and Black feminist movement, in Emancipatory sociology, as DuBois’s envisioned. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022 8 Published by SCHOLINK INC. References DuBois, W. (2013). The Souls of Black Folk. Chappell Hill: North Caroline University Press. DuBois, W. (1986). Dark water: Voices from within the Veil. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company. Madoo, L., Patricia, N. G. (2007). The Women Founders. Long Grove: Waveland Press. Curry, T. (2012). The Fortune of Wells: Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s Use of T. Thomas Fortune's Philosophy of Social Agitation as a Prolegomenon to Militant Civil Rights. Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society, 48(4), 456-482. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/trancharpeirsoc.48.4.456 https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/trancharpeirsoc.48.4.456