The ‘Philadelphia Negro’ book by DuBois critically examines the social issues faced by African Americans in Philadelphia. DuBois (1899) maps every black church, business, and residence in the Seventh Ward city, recording occupational and family structure of each individual. The research conducted by DuBois was critical in his re-establishment of the concept of race. From his study, it was found that the Negro problem emanated as a result of social problems such as poverty, ignorance, crimes and discrimination. These claims are supported by succinct examples and analyses throughout the book.
In chapter one, the author has described the general aim of the study as an inquiry to ascertain the geographical distribution of African American race, their homes, organizations, occupations and their daily life as well as their relation to million white fellow-citizens. Apart from depicting the race issue, this chapter provides African Americans history in Philadelphia city since the 1600s. Specifically, DuBois has addressed various problems that the African American community has faced drawing much attention to the challenges that are imposed by racism and slavery. In this study, DuBois used household inquiry and observation to collect data. This investigation started in 1896 and ended in December 1897.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In this study, six schedules were also utilized among nine thousand Negroes to gather data. The family schedule was used to determine the number of members, sex, age, their birthplace and conjugal condition, their earning and occupation as well as the ability to read and write. Apart from the family schedule, the individual schedule was also used to collect data. An individual schedule, questions such as several rooms, the lodgers, rent and conveniences were asked. The street schedule was also used to collect data on different small alleys and streets. To add on, the institutional schedule was used in institutions and organizations to collect data in institutions. Finally, a slight variation of personal schedule was utilized to gather data for house servants that lived at their employment places. In addition to schedule method, a general survey was used to determine the general distribution of people as well as the differences of condition. Direct observation, open-ended surveys and questionnaires, interviews and focus groups are some of the methods that I could use to collect data. Closed-ended surveys and questionnaires are questions that give participants answers to opt for. Likewise, interviews gather data directly from the interviewee.
DuBois states crime, poverty, ignorance and labor discrimination as one of the significant research problems affecting the Negro population. In the second chapter of the Philadelphia Negro, DuBois has explained the existence of certain problems that affect Negro individuals. As much as the Negro population is large, their social problems are manifested as compared to the other groups that form the large group of Philadelphia people. Discrimination was more evident among Negroes and further connected with a long historic evolution that comprised of Negro social problems. To explain the Negro problem in Philadelphia, students ought to know the exact condition of the group, its composition and the individuals considered.
Additionally, DuBois indicates that students ought to put into consideration both the physical and social environment of the city which engulf and influence the social development of this group. The first impulse of the average Negro was marked with discrimination. Every individual in Philadelphia was aware that prejudice of color was so inherent in the city making Negro men not to sit or even walk in the city in fear of their life. During the investigation, several social problems were faced by Negroes. Negroes had to rely on the circumstances of others to get work but whites never had many problems in getting a job. Most of them started their jobs in the lawyer’s office and advanced to a well-paying practice or they entered in the medical field in minor position due to fame and affluence. but for Negroes all these careers are closed on account of color prejudice. From the Philadelphia Negro book, the problem that DuBois was researching includes crime, poverty, discrimination, and ignorance.
In chapter five of Philadelphia Negro book, DuBois discussed the size, age as well as the sex of the Negro population. Philadelphia County increased by approximately twenty-fold from 1790 to 1890, beginning with about 2500 Negroes and 50,000 whites at the first census. A tremendous increase in the Negro population was witnessed in the first two decades, their number increased from about 2489 to about 10,552 in 1810. The increase was as a result of new freedmen and servants that were coming to serve their masters. This increase was attracted by the industrial as well as social opportunities in Philadelphia city. In terms of sex, the Negro industrial opportunities of women are greater as compared to men, through their large employment in domestic service. The division by sex indicates that the number of women was greater than that of men. As of December 1896, there was a total of about 9675 Negroes. This population comprised of 4501 males and 5174 females. From this illustration, it has been noted that the division by sex is large with females still dominating.
In Chapter thirteen, DuBois discusses Negro criminal experiences. According to DuBois, the Negroes were figured majorly in Philadelphia criminal annals. Since the start of the colonies, Negro slaves caused disorder that made many people to complain.. As a result, the Council led by the Governor approved an ordinance to be made by the Court of Philadelphia County to stop Negro gathering in the town of Philadelphia on the first day of each week. This gave Philadelphia constables the power to arrest any Negro whether male or female that was found gathering on the stipulated day of the week without tickets. As much as this law was put in place, the Negro group in Philadelphia continued to cause trouble.
The worst period of crime caused by Negroes was experienced during the opening of the Eastern Penitentiary in 1829 at the end of the year. Between 1830 and 1850, the crime problem of Negro in Philadelphia increased dramatically. As opined by Katz and Sugrue (1998), less than seven percent of the Negro group committed almost 33 percent of crimes. Even though the Negro committed numerous crimes, some considerations ought not to be ignored in interpreting the number of crimes. During these times, the discrimination of Negroes was more as compared to today. A Negro would have been arrested for minor crimes and given longer sentences as compared to the white population. Crime in Philadelphia was caused by numerous reasons. The large rise in crime, particularly in cities increased as a result of the complexity of life as well as industrial competition. Therefore, the Negroes revealed this development in terms of increased criminality because they took little part in numerous social movements.
Poverty and alcoholism are also among the social problems that were discussed in the book. According to DuBois (1899), poverty was so much prevalent among freedmen as much as there was no actual figure on the subject. In Philadelphia County Almshouse, approximately 235 of Negroes were poor accounting for 14 percent of the total population. In Seventh Ward, almost 9 percent of Negroes were categorized as very poor and needed public help to live. These statistics roughly indicate an enormous amount of poverty that existed among the Negroes. Poverty and crime among Negroes were caused by slavery and the emancipation of the Negroes, frequent immigration and the environment. The environment of Negroes did not provide comfort but rather provided amusements which contributed to a variety of social problems.
Apart from poverty and alcoholism, the contact of the races against Negroes is another social problem that this group encountered. They regard this particular problem as the main cause of their unfortunate conditions because it kept them and their children out of decent employment, hiring houses in many areas as well as from public conveniences and amusements. The Negro group also encountered bad and good results of the suffrage of Negro. The bad results of the suffrage created a majority of Negro voters that voted without being informed under the command of the party while others accepted indirect office emoluments in return for party loyalty. On the other hand, the good results of the Negro suffrage prevented Negroes from both private and public oppression which eventually increased civic patriotism among the Negro, making them adapt to city life and prevented them from involving in criminal activities.
From the illustration in this book, it is clear that the Negro problems of discrimination, poverty, ignorance as well as crime have devastatingly hindered the progress of the Negro population in Philadelphia. It is therefore important to deal with these problems cumulatively to settle this particular matter. This will only be settled if Negroes demand civilization for members that come from civilized communities, demand freedom of self-employment and further protest against injustices and prejudice. The white also must stop discrimination and give Negroes equal opportunities in terms of education and jobs. Secondly, the whites should also uplift the Negroes by recognizing the better class of Negroes. By putting this into consideration, the social problems that the Negro people have suffered will be reduced completely.
References
Du Bois, W. E. B., & Eaton, I. (1899). The Philadelphia negro: A social study (No. 14). Published for the University.
Katz, M. B., & Sugrue, T. J. (Eds.). (1998). WEB Du Bois, Race, and the City:" The Philadelphia Negro" and Its Legacy . University of Pennsylvania Press.
Zuberi, T. (2004). WEB Du Bois’s sociology: The Philadelphia Negro and social science. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , 595 (1), 146-156.
