118 Chapter 5
is goingto involveorganizedanddeliberateself-segregation.” ShouldDu Bois’s will
beingdoneimpel“an increasein segregationand prejudice,thenthat mustcome.”^132
A yearearlierDu Boisconcluded,“Thethinkingcoloredpeopleof the UnitedStates
muststopbeingstampededby the wordsegregation.. .” Indeed,“thereshouldneverbe
any oppositionto segregationpureandsimple.. .”^133 Du Bois’s writingsoverlookthat
selfrefersto an individualhumanbeing,not the collectivethat an entireraceembodies.To
describethe “self-confidence” of an entireraceof persons—eachpersonhavinghis or her
ownuniquelevelof confidence—is a contradictionin terms.If Du Bois’s jaundicedopin-
ion aboutEuro-Americanshad not beenclearby 1935,he spelledit out in plainEnglishby
1962.“I am quitefrank:I do not pretendto ‘love’ whitepeople.I thinkthatas a racethey
are the mostselfishof any on earth.”^134 He lamentedthatwhiteshad “overrunthe earth
and broughtnot simplymoderncivilizationand technique,but withit exploitation,slav-
ery, and degradationto the majorityof men.”^135 ThismaneventuallyexhortedU.S.-born
blacksto go “Backto Africa.”^136 Here,Du Boisoverlooksan essentialfact.If a black
personis bornin the USAandlivedherehis wholelife, andthenmakesa firstvisitto
Africa,sucha trip wouldnot constituteareturnto that continent.
Worse,Du Boiscameto judgethatthe UnitedStates,in its venaldoings,has “out-
HitleredHitler.. .”^137 Du Bois’s reasoningwasthatAmericawastoo laissezfairefor his
liking.“Capitalism,” he growled,“cannotreformitself;it is doomedto self-destruction.
No universalselfishnesscan bringsocialgoodto all.”^138 Andthushe rhapsodizedthat
KarlMarxwas “a colossalgeniusof infinitesacrificeand monumentalindustry.. .”^139 Du
Boisalsotookpridein having“spentfourhours” in the companyof “MaoTse-tung.”^140
Andhis affinityfor dictatorsextendedto thoseof previouscenturiesas well;he consid-
eredOttovon Bismarcka personalhero.^141
WhenJosefStalinfinallyexpired,it was quitepossiblythe mostmercifulact the Soviet
strongmanevercommitted.Nevertheless,Du BoiseulogizedStalinas follows,evincing
noneof the sarcasmwe detectedin “The Soulof WhiteFolk”: “JosephStalinwasa great
man;few othermenof the 20thcenturyapproachhis stature.He wassimple,calmand
courageous.... But also—andthis wasthe highestproofof his greatness—he knewthe
commonman,felt his problems,followedhis fate.... His rewardcomesas the common
manstandsin solemnacclaim.”^142 Du Bois,the so-calledchampionof racialequality,
concededno mentionof Stalin’s persecutionof Jews.^143 It appearsthatwhileDu Bois
dislikedwhitepeoplein general,exemptionsfromsuchcontemptweregivento Stalin,
Marx,and Bismarck.
Du Boiscannotbe accuratelypeggedas a consistentadvocateof racialequality,except
in onerespect.Du Boisappliedeugenicistideasbothto whitesandto blacks.Jonah
GoldbergdisclosesthatDu Bois“sharedmanyof the eugenicviewsheldby whitepro-
gressives.His ‘TalentedTenth’ wasitselfa eugenicallyweightedterm.”^144 Accordingto
Du Bois,thosewhowerethe TalentedTenthwere“the bestof the race,” whomust“train
andbreedfor brains,for efficiency,for beauty.”^145 Talentedor not,my tenth-gradeU.S.
HistoryteacherdemandedthatI showgratitudeto Du Bois.In her inaccurateaccountof
history,Du Boisheroicallyspenthis finaldaysfightingfor the equalrightsof every
ethnicityto coexist.My teacherconvenientlyneglectedto acknowledgeany of the afore-
mentionedfactsaboutDu Bois.Regrettably,she is not alonein culpabilityfor suchcon-
spicuousevasions,though.RecallthatThe Age of AmericanUnreasonis the bookin which
SusanJacobyunleashesjeremiadsagainst“socialDarwinism” and“eugenics.” In this
verysamebook,Jacobysingspraisesbothto FDRandto Du Bois,overlookingany
recognitionof theireugenicism.^146 AndSDATglidesoverany mentionof the racialsepa-
ratismpushedby thesesametwo historicalfigures.
An interestingtwisttookplaceafterDu Bois’s pal OswaldVillard,had takenoverthe
once-quasi-consensualistNationmagazineandchangedits editorialtoneto a thereafter