On the recordJanuary 1, 1903
Above all, they cannot see why they should take unusual pains to make the white man’s land better, or to fatten his mule, or save his corn.
Said by
W.E.B. Du Bois
Source
gutenberg.orgW.E.B. Du Bois: “Above all, they cannot see why they should take unusual pains to make the white man’s land better, or to fatten his…”
Editor's note · Context
This statement powerfully articulates the lack of incentive for Black laborers to invest extra effort into improving property that is not their own, highlighting the impact of systemic exploitation.
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Jan 1, 1903
The words that are left to us are not without interest, and, cleared of evident dross, they conceal much of real poetry and meaning beneath conventional theology and unmeaning rhapsody.
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The songs are indeed the siftings of centuries; the music is far more ancient than the words, and in it we can trace here and there signs of development.