What To Do With Our People, Especially the Youth

The Talented Tenth
W. E. B. Du Bois
September 1903

The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men.

The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first of all deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst, in their own and other races.

Now the training of men is a difficult and intricate task. Its technique is a matter for educational experts, but its object is for the vision of seers.

 If we make money the object of man-training, we shall develop money-makers but not necessarily men;

if we make technical skill the object of education, we may possess artisans but not, in nature, men.

Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools — intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is,

and of the relation of men to it — this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which must underlie true life.

On this foundation we may build bread winning, skill of hand and quickness of brain, with never a fear lest the child and man mistake the means of living for the object of life.

This I have pondered on today after dealing with so many of our youth who are not interested in getting an education at school. I know for a fact that they probably wont pass the ISAT that we have been preparing them for. They are not interested in anything remotely related to reading, writing and math. This is a large number of students. The goal is to now concentrate on the upper percentile. The top ten. The top twenty even.  Those that want to learn and will learn. They can still help those that don't.

This is so serious.No ne really understands what's going on in these schools unless you are there. The miseducation of our youth is greatly due to their refusal to value education on the  whole. We have our top ten, then we have the rest.

Even with all of this doom and gloom, God is still in charge. God is still the final word on this situation. God is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. It aint over til God says its over and He is still working on this. It will take a long time. It will not be done in my life time but I know that my peg is placed. I continue to try to do my part and know that there is always more to be done. Little by little. /stay focused and keep our Eye on the Prize.

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing to someone Special.