On the record
They existed not for themselves, but for men; they were named after the men to whom they were related and not after the fashion of their own souls.
Said by
W.E.B. Du Bois
Source
gutenberg.orgW.E.B. Du Bois: “They existed not for themselves, but for men; they were named after the men to whom they were related and not after the…”
Editor's note · Context
Du Bois reflects on the societal roles imposed on individuals, emphasizing the lack of personal identity in those roles.
Share
More from W.E.B. Du Bois
Jan 1, 1903
But whichever it is, the meaning is always clear: that sometime, somewhere, men will judge men by their souls and not by their skins.
Jan 1, 1903
If somewhere in this whirl and chaos of things there dwells Eternal Good, pitiful yet masterful, then anon in His good time America shall rend the Veil and the prisoned shall go free.
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…
Jan 1, 1903
So long as the world stands meekly dumb before such questions, shall this nation proclaim its ignorance and unhallowed prejudices by denying freedom of opportunity to those who brought the Sorrow Songs to the Seats of the Mighty?