Political Quotes

W.E.B. Du Bois: “Among some of us, I doubt not, this sudden descent of Europe into hell brought unbounded surprise; to others, over wide…”

On the record
Among some of us, I doubt not, this sudden descent of Europe into hell brought unbounded surprise; to others, over wide area, it brought the Schaden Freude of the bitterly hurt; but most of us, I judge, looked on silently and sorrowfully, in sober thought, seeing sadly the prophecy of our own souls.
Said by
W.E.B. Du Bois

Editor's note · Context

This quote captures the mixed emotions of Black individuals observing the chaos of World War I, highlighting their unique perspective.

Share

More from W.E.B. Du Bois

Jan 1, 1903

Around us the history of the land has centred for thrice a hundred years; out of the nation’s heart we have called all that was best to throttle and subdue all that was worst; fire and blood, prayer and sacrifice, have billowed over this…

gutenberg.org
Jan 1, 1903

The silently growing assumption of this age is that the probation of races is past, and that the backward races of to-day are of proven inefficiency and not worth the saving.

gutenberg.org
Jan 1, 1903

So wofully unorganized is sociological knowledge that the meaning of progress, the meaning of “swift” and “slow” in human doing, and the limits of human perfectability, are veiled, unanswered sphinxes on the shores of science.

gutenberg.org
Jan 1, 1903

Actively we have woven ourselves with the very warp and woof of this nation,—we fought their battles, shared their sorrow, mingled our blood with theirs, and generation after generation have pleaded with a headstrong, careless people to…

gutenberg.org