The Impact of Racism on African Americans in Dubois' A Mild Suggestion

This essay analyzes the theme of racism in Dubois' A Mild Suggestion and its impact on African Americans. It also explores the solutions proposed by the author to end racism. The essay highlights the discrimination faced by African Americans in the early 20th century and how it is still prevalent. The author's use of satire to suggest solutions to end racism is also discussed.

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The African Americans exaggeration and racism impacts
A mild suggestion is one of the essays composed by one of the American civil activists
who were famous. It is categorized as one of the biting essays in America. In this story a mild
suggestion, Dubois attempts to bring out the theme of racism that is evident in the whole story.
In his story, he attempts to imply to Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal which focuses on the
racism caused by the challenges (Roberts et al 5-6). According to Swift the problems that are
being experienced as discussed in the story are due to the population rapidly increasing, the high
population, therefore, characterizes black and white people who are divided into various groups
concerning their financial status. The theme of racism is further seen to manifest itself in social
gathering such as churches, meeting and even in institutions such as schools. The thesis
statement is based on how Black people are seen to segregate themselves and make assemblies
apart from the white people bringing the racism challenge right from the financial status and
social standards.
The African Americans and the Caucasians in the context referred to as the colored men
are still not free at during mid-1912. This is significantly evident the author wrote and published
the book A mild Suggestion 50 years after emancipation (Blight 34). According to the book, the
Africans Americans are seen to be discriminated silently when the speaker says that the black

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man ought to be stopped for competing with the whites, further the Southerner adds that for the
conflict to end the white men should stop educating the black men. It is vividly evident that the
back man in this particular period the book was published enjoyed some rights such as education,
socializing, and basic human rights. However, it is evident that the white man is still
undermining the black man and seeing his potential hence wants to stop educating them in the
order he cannot get jobs to compete with the white man (Grusky and Weisshaar 47-48).
The story as written by W.E.B Dubois comes on an instance where the southerner argues
with the colored man, the first argue about immigration and the colored man says that
immigration has become very costly and inhumane, the colored man continues as he talks to the
old lazy staring at her , then all over sudden he comes up with a plan that he shares with the old
lady, where he suggests that he will choose a day which he prefers to be January 1913, he
suggests that every person who has colored friend should invite them for dinner, he, in addition,
says that among the colored friends is the black mammies and faithful old servants who should
be invited for dinner, he says the plan will enable them to get together in a number of many, then
those who have not have the delight to have friends arrange for meetings that he suggests can be
arranged in white churches where the black men (negroes) (Blight & David 9-10).
The proposal by writing a mild suggesting is emphasized on the proposal that states that
the next morning there will be ten million funerals, and therefore no Negro problem. Think how
quietly the thing would is settled. The author generously offers a solution to end the violence and
the misunderstanding that bleeds racism; he suggests the unifying of the various colors. The
story attempts to portray the struggles that are existing in different classes as evident in the
society. The author, therefore, sees the problem of the class struggles and tries to get a permanent

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solution to the problem (Pease). First Dubois wants to solve the problem of racism and racial
segregation existing between the white population and the black people (Du Bois 82).
. However Dubois offers a solution that offers a controversy in solving the problem, this
is because the solutions he offers tend to a favor one race and discriminate against the other yet
both groups love in the same society, this is because he proposed to the white that the best way to
end the racism is to kill and slaughter all black people. Du Bois is also seen to offer solutions to
powerful people in the government of the United States suggesting that it would be better not to
educate the black men because they might compete with the white (Roberts et al 23).
A Mild Approach is a straightforward suggestion that attempts on provides a solution that
unites the two cultures that are in conflict as well as bridge the gap of the social as that is existing
in the country. The author uses a somber mode to express his suggestions and with such
confidence when offering ways to reducing the problems even to the powerful people in
government positions. It is evident that the story is sarcastic this can be told by the authors
attempt to provide a mild suggestion that is not mild at all, for instance, Du Bois suggests the
slaughtering of all the black people in order to end the problem. In addition, he suggests that the
black people should be denied education in order to end the competition that the white people
might get (LePan et al 98). The other instance that gets even more satirical when the author
suggest that the next morning there would be ten million funerals and therefore no Negro
problem. If the problem was to be settled the white people should be the ones coming up with
rigid solutions and get rid of the back people. Satirically, the author who is a black is seen to
suggestions on ways to get rid of his own culture, he, in addition, suggests confidently that the
ideas are highly achievable and can be executed hence see the eradication of the black man in the
society (Blight 36). It is apparent that the story is mocking this can be advised by the creators

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endeavor to give a gentle recommendation that isn't mellow in any way, for example, Du Bois
proposes the butchering of all the dark individuals with a specific end goal to end the issue.
Furthermore, he proposes that the dark individuals ought to be denied training keeping in mind
the end goal to end the opposition that the white individuals may get. The use of Satire is
effective rhetorical strategy in Du Bois' eassy" because the satirical comments, the auther is able
to explain the how the blacks exaggerate their opinion being African American. It is through
exaggeration that the backs are exposed of their culture exaggeration.

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Works cited
Blight, David W. Beyond The Battlefield. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2002.
Print.pp34
Blight, David W. Race And Reunion. Cambridge, USA: Harvard University Press, 2009.
Print.pp9-56
Du Bois, W. E. B. "A mild suggestion." The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose-Third
Canadian Edition (2017): 82.
Grusky, David B, and Katherin R Weisshaar. Social Stratification. 1st ed. USA: Routledge,
1990. Print.pp45-89
LePan, Don et al. The Broadview Anthology Of Expository Prose. 1st ed. Ontario: Broad View
Publishing, 2002. Print.pp78
Pease, Donald E. Revisionary Interventions Into The Americanist Canon. Durham, N.C.: Duke
University Press, 1994. Print.pp78-89
Roberts, Tammy et al. The Broadview Anthology Of Expository Prose. 2nd ed. Ontario, Canada:
Broadview Press, 2011. Print. Pp5-89

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