The most amazing part of this week’s readings was the sheer number of thought-invoking lines scattered throughout. While the rest of the chapters this week were full of meaningful and inspiring ideas, a few lines truly stood out as brilliant and unique.

One such line was written by W.E.B. DuBois, “The price of culture is a Lie.” (Sernett 334). This line is led up to with a description of the sacrifices needed to access culture,  and it is eye-opening to realize just how much society demands in order to fit in and be given opportunities.

Another passage that stood out in particular was, “The Negro in America cherishes no ideals, holds to no other principles save those that are soundly American. Why then this fear of being Africanized? We hear no fear expressed of our country being Germanized or Jewized; we hear no cry going up from the North or South against Irish political ascendancy. Is there any evidence anywhere in a single page of American history where the Negro has been less patriotic and true to our institutions than any of these elements we have named?” (Sernett 343). This passage reveals a bias that I’ve never truly considered before, at least in this particular light. It was thought-provoking, to say the least, to consider society’s skewed logic in such a light.

Finally, the article about Booker T. Washington’s speech was perhaps the most intriguing of all of the articles we read this week. The entire article was full of interesting lines and passages. From the beginning of the article, Washington offers a perspective different than those we’ve read thus far. He encourages people to look past their biases and their assumptions to find a better way, one that focuses on peace and success over contempt.