The Souls of Black Folk · Chapter
V: Of the Wings of Atalanta explained
Du Bois reflects on the transformation of the post-war South, particularly Atlanta, as it rises from the ashes of war into a bustling industrial city.
What happens
Du Bois reflects on the transformation of the post-war South, particularly Atlanta, as it rises from the ashes of war into a bustling industrial city. He warns against the danger of valuing material wealth over higher ideals, using the myth of Atalanta as an allegory for the Black community's struggle between pursuing money and maintaining a commitment to righteousness, knowledge, and true freedom. He champions the role of Black universities like Atlanta University in cultivating broad-minded leaders who can bridge racial divides.
Themes in this chapter
Education and Leadership
Du Bois argues that true education is not merely for earning a living but for cultivating broad culture, tolerance, and the ability to lead society toward justice and peace.
Economic Oppression
The chapter warns against the 'Mammonism' of America and the South, where the pursuit of gold threatens to corrupt the higher ideals of freedom and righteousness.
The Veil
The Veil of Race is described as a barrier that lies 'above and between all' in Atlanta, shaping the city's struggles and the Black community's quest for a just society.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
The narrator lives at Atlanta University and observes the city's transformation and the students' pursuit of higher ideals.
Key passages
“Teach workers to work—a wise saying; wise when applied to German boys and American girls; wiser when said of Negro boys, for they have less knowledge of working and none to teach them. Teach thinkers to think—a needed knowledge in a day of loose and careless logic; and they whose lot is gravest must have the carefulest training to think aright.”
It is wise to teach practical skills, but even more crucial for Black youth, who lack both work experience and teachers. At the same time, those facing the greatest challenges need the most rigorous intellectual training to think clearly.
Du Bois advocates for a balanced education that includes both industrial training and liberal arts, tailored to the specific needs of the Black community.
“The worker must work for the glory of his handiwork, not simply for pay; the thinker must think for truth, not for fame.”
Labor should be done with pride in craftsmanship, not just for wages, and intellectual work should seek truth rather than personal acclaim.
Du Bois emphasizes intrinsic motivation and higher purpose over material or egotistical rewards.
“If Atlanta be not named for Atalanta, she ought to have been.”
Atlanta's character and challenges mirror the myth of Atalanta, making the name fitting even if not originally intended.
Du Bois uses the myth to symbolize the city's—and the Black community's—struggle against the temptation of gold.