Appreciating the African American literary and musical tradition.
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The enduring legacy of W. E. B. Du Bois
I designed a series of lessons based on the cultural and spiritual knowledge contained within African American literature and music. In the first lesson, I prompted students to consider the concepts of the “veil” and “double consciousness” using passages from The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois. I instructed students to read and reflect upon a key passage from the text, where Du Bois recounts the tragic loss of his young son due to discrimination within the medical care system.
A Musical Dimension
I then developed a lesson with a musical component, which was significant because The Souls of Black Folk includes bars of spirituals at the beginning of each chapter. Spirituals were an important part of the African American musical tradition and particularly meaningful to Du Bois, who heard them as a child and then later as a student at Fisk University, where they were frequently performed. I included a YouTube clip of a spiritual from 12 Years a Slave to illustrate the potent strength and hope that music brought to a disenfranchised community.
Stories of Resistance
Music can transcend the barriers of language. Enslaved people were uprooted from their cultures, language, and communities, and music was what allowed many African American people to maintain a connection to their heritage and their ancestors.
The faith, tenacity, and striving for justice within the African American and black community are evident in the work of writers and musicians from W. E. B. Du Bois to Beyoncé Knowles.