The Conservation of RacesDu Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
General
The Conservation of Races
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
African Americans -- Race identity; African Americans -- Social conditions; United States -- Race relations
The age of nomadic tribes of closely related individuals
represents the maximum of physical differences. They were
practically vast families, and there were as many groups as
families. As the families came together to form cities the
physical differences lessened, purity of blood was replaced by
the requirement of domicile, and all who lived within the city
bounds became gradually to be regarded as members of the group;
i.e., there was a slight and slow breaking down of physical
barriers. This, however, was accompanied by an increase of the
spiritual and social differences between cities. This city
became husbandmen, this, merchants, another warriors, and so on.
The IDEALS OF LIFE for which the different cities struggled were
different. When at last cities began to coalesce into nations
there was another breaking down of barriers which separated
groups of men. The larger and broader differences of color, hair
and physical proportions were not by any means ignored, but
myriads of minor differences disappeared, and the sociological
and historical races of men began to approximate the present
division of races as indicated by physical researches. At the
same time the spiritual and physical differences of race groups
which constituted the nations became deep and decisive. The
English nation stood for constitutional liberty and commercial
freedom; the German nation for science and philosophy; the
Romance nations stood for literature and art, and the other race
groups are striving, each in its own way, to develop for
civilization its particular message, it particular ideal, which
shall help to guide the world nearer and nearer that perfection
of human life for which we all long, that
"one far off Divine event."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account