William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B” DuBois, was an American author and editor. Furthermore he
is known as a sociologist, historian, and counts as one of the most important figures in the
American civil rights movement in the twentieth century.
His arguments defending education among black people are fundamental to black history in
America. The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould states that various elements of biological
determinism “recur every few years”. DuBois effort in disproving false claims about blacks is still
relevant today because arguments of determinism have not changed. The discussion seems to be
ongoing, without moving forward and getting rid of manifested stigma. DuBois introduces the idea
of the Talented Tenth which he is undoubtedly a part of. Focusing on black education of the most
intelligent individuals to guide the community away from contamination is a central idea. However,
Gould´s text points out the “deep” errors of biological determinism, that among other things suggest
that intelligent black people have white blood in them, but even then are not part of the community.
He states that human behavior cannot be categorized in scientific percentages and he states that
disproving biological claims made in the past can be disproven. Furthermore, they help to get rid of
the assumption that black people's lack of education automatically makes them inferior to whites
that have enjoyed advanced tuition for far longer. Affirmative action policies in order to integrate
discriminated groups are controversial because they could possibly bring new stigma. At the same
time, black education needs to undergo vast changes to support them and possibly include
individuals in the Talented Tenth. Academically successful black people are proving that education
is not based on skin color. In the past however skin color has determined academic success in the
education system.
Norman Adewole Advanced Style Blog Entry 07.12.16
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