Discussion

The Niagara Movement – 1905-1910

 By the early 20th Century, African Americans were ready to mobilize significant political movements to address the discrimination they were facing.  One of the first, most important groups was called the Niagara Movement:

Niagara Movement

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_niagara.html

Please read about this group at the above link.

The first meeting of the Niagara Movement had to take place in Canada because New York hotels would not accommodate African-Americans.  This very fact underscores why WEB DuBois called for the founding of an organization and a movement to improve the lives of African-Americans.  It is sobering to think that even in the early 1960s, classical music singer Marian Anderson could not count upon hotels in Texas giving her a place to stay the night when she was touring there.

Here is another excellent summary of the Niagara Movement:  History of the Niagara Movement

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/niagara-movement-1905-1909

Please answer these questions:

1. What person had the most power in the African American community in 1905 and what did WEB DuBois think of him? 
2. When you look at the Niagara Declaration of Principles, what do you notice about its attitudes toward African-Americans and their recent social progress?  Recall that this Declaration was written by DuBois and the 29 other black men who attended the inaugural Niagara meeting.