Civil Rights Leaders of the Past
The Cost of Liberty
Illustration
Author Note
Over the past few days of protests I’m reminded of this great quote by W.E.B. Du Bois.
In case you aren’t familiar with William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, he was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer, editor, and one of the founding members of the NAACP.
Before the end of the 19th century, Du Bois argued that African Americans should have full civil rights and increased political representation in american politics. He protested against lynching, Jim Crow laws, and discrimination in education and employment.
Du Bois attributed capitalism as the primary cause of racism, and I think we’ve definitely had over a century to see the proof in that statement. Spreading racism and poverty are effective means to oppress, divide, and distract the masses while the rich steal and loot on a grand scale.
If you’ve never read any W.E. B. Du Bois writings, I urge you to please read them. While they may be nearly hundred years old, his words and urgings for equal civil rights are unfortunately still very relevant.
Perhaps if our country had followed his teachings, and not those expressed in the Atlantic Compromise, we perhaps would have been quite a different nation today. The Atlantic Compromise was written by Booker T. Washington. It appeased southern whites by leaving Jim Crow laws in place and institutionalized racism.
But alas, the struggle for freedom of all people has been a never-ending, long, arduous road for the United States.
As long as people persist undaunted and determined true liberty will prevail (eventually).
E.R. Flynn is a cartoonist and illustrator. Catch him on the web at https://erflynn.art . Write for Medium? Need an Illustration for your article? Give him a shout!
