28 pages 56 minutes read

W. E. B. Du Bois

The Talented Tenth

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1903

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Essay Topics

1.

Du Bois states that African American society will be “saved by its exceptional men.” Does the essay make a convincing case for this assertion?

2.

The essay assumes that a college education is vital for societal leadership. How would you explain Du Bois’s view of leadership? Why is a college education required to be a leader?

3.

Du Bois demonstrates that the majority of the talented tenth are teachers. To what extent are teachers considered leaders in American culture today?