Name: _________________________
Hour: ___________
“The Forethought” & “Of Our Spiritual Strivings”
Af-Am Voices
Directions: Respond to each of the following questions in complete sentences. Read
them first and then begin reading. Answer as you go along.
1. What is the difference in the question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” Why is this
question implied but not asked and why does Du Bois not answer it?
2. What event caused Du Bois to first notice differences between races? What was his
reaction?
3. Look at the paragraph beginning at the bottom of p. 2. This paragraph is the heart of Du
Bois’ rhetoric (look up the word). What does he mean by The Veil or DoubleConsciousness for African-Americans? Really try to dig deep on this one--give examples
of how you see this played out in history or contemporary society.
4. Du Bois states, “The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife,--this
longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer
self” (3). What 2 ways does he NOT suggest for finding a truer self? What does he
advocate?
5. Beginning on p. 4, Du Bois begins to outline the gains and progress made by AfricanAmericans to discover and claim their unified selves. Summarize his thoughts on how the
following items worked and failed:
Freedom:
The Right to Vote (15th amendment):
Education:
Prejudice:
6. On p. 8, Du Bois brings his whole argument together and advocates a particular plan of
action for equality. What is his plan?
7. After reading Du Bois think about the implications of his work for today. He is writing this
piece at the turn of the 20th century; we are at the turn of the 21st century. Are there
lessons to be learned and utilized from his rhetoric a hundred years later?