Layla Quinones
Professor: Corbett Treece
ENG 101.0777
October 16, 2008
Readers Response Essay 4
Racial Discrimination in Education: “Of the Coming of John” by W.E.B. Du Bois
The story “Of the Coming of John” by W.E.B. Du Bois describes a troubled time in
history when black people were discriminated against in the United States. More specifically,
the author illustrates the differences in the position of a town’s white population on
education for white and black students. The author tells the story of a young black man’s
pursuit of an education and the struggles he faces due to racial discrimination, which lead to
unprecedented events. It is only after he was educated that he realized the injustice of racial
discrimination and then decides to educate the black community in his hometown into realizing it
too. However, his actions are not accepted by the white community because of their ideal of the
role that black men should have in their community.
In the story, the author explains the opinion of the majority of white people in a southern
town as pertaining to a young man’s education. A young black man, named after the white
Judge’s son John, was sent off to college in the North. Before he left his hometown of Altamaha
Georgia, the author informs the reader of the general white population’s view on a young black
man getting an education. She describes that although the black community was supportive about
John leaving to get an education, the majority of white people “…shook their heads when his
mother wanted to send him off to school. ‘It’ll spoil him,-ruin him’” (7). She also points out that
they thought he was “…a good boy, fine plough-hand, good in the rice fields, handy everywhere
and always good-natured and respectful” (7). This leads the reader to believe that although they
thought positively about John, they still discriminated against him because they felt that, as a
black man, he would benefit them greatly if he didn’t go to school and instead stayed in the town
to work in the fields. Lastly, the author also describes the opinion of the town Judge towards a
black man leaving the town to go to college. He also declares that “‘…it will spoil him’”(8).
In this town, the Judge that is appointed reflects the opinions of the majority of the voting
population. When he speaks of his son John going to college, he exclaims “‘It’ll make a man out
of him…college is the place’” (8). However, he contradicts himself showing his true racist nature
when he adds that it will spoil the black man if he goes to college (8). The author describes an
interesting similarity in views of the black and white people on education for young men when
she states that in this southern town “…the world lay waiting… [for] the coming of town
men…for the black folk thought of one John, and he was black; and the white folk thought of
another John, and he was white”(8). This shows the importance of race during this time;
although the two men were both from the same town and getting an education, the white and
black people thought of the changes that would be made for only their race by the return of their
respective John.
When the black John returns, he brings with him the knowledge that racial discrimination
is wrong and that the black community deserves to be treated better in terms of respect and
education. Nevertheless, when he addresses the black community about the racial issues in their
town, they cannot understand him “…for he spoke an unknown tongue” (14). The author adds
“Every step he made offended someone. He had come to save his people, and before he left the
depot he hurt them…and had outraged their deepest feelings” (15). Instead of being portrayed as
someone who sees the wrong in racial discrimination. He is seen as a person who had been filled
with negative thoughts that were unheard of to his relatives in the south and ultimately offended
the black community’s lifestyle. Furthermore, when the black John first arrived from the north,
he stepped off the train with a sordid facial expression giving, his welcoming crowd a less
exciting arrival experience. A white postmaster “…expressed the opinion of his folks plainly.
‘That damn Nigger…has gone north got plum full o’fool notions; but they wont work in
Altamaha’”(13). The author uses the words “his folks” to help the reader understand that this
also was the opinion of most of the white people present.
The exclamation given by the post master is also validated when John presents his
proposal to the town Judge to teach the young black children so they themselves can become
educated. The Judge explains to him“ ‘ Now I like colored people…but…in this country the
Negro must remain subordinate, and can never be the equal of white men…accept the situation
and teach the darkies to be faithful servants and laborers as your fathers were.’”(15). Later in the
story, he closes down the church in which the black students are taught because John was
teaching them about “‘…the French revolution and equality’” (16). This is a direct example of
the racial discrimination of the south during this time. Indeed most people in the town, white and
black, felt that an education was important for growing children. Racial discrimination played a
key role in determining the kind of education that black children received, along with the
segregation they already endured. In addition, the opinions of the white people in this southern
town were unequal towards black people when pertaining to their views on education. The fact
that they felt a black student should be treated inferior to a white student explains some of the
racial inequalities that the black community had to endure during this time in history..