African-American Literary History, Martin Delaney's The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States, Politically Considered

Essay by rockafellerUniversity, Bachelor's October 2002

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African-American Literary History

Martin Delaney

The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States, Politically Considered by Martin Delaney was an important contribution to the ideas of the Black Nationalism. The idea of emigration has influenced many African American minds and the separatist ideals that Delaney spread continue to influence modern day blacks.

Booker T. Washington was the perfect opposite within the black community for Martin Delaney. While Delaney argued that blacks and whites cannot coexist, Washington was saying the opposite. While Delaney and other Black Nationalists have said to fight at any cost for your rights, Washington encouraged blacks to submit to the white society and tolerate mistreatment to further their cause.

Frederick Douglass shared Delaney's views on absurdity of Christian slave owners. Douglass and Delaney shared many of the same angry views of slave owners and sympathizers, but they did not share the same ideas on how exactly to fix it.

Douglass believed that blacks and whites could live together in harmony, but knew that lots of work had to be done.

The ideas that W.E.B. Dubois had of a separate leadership within this country for blacks were built upon what Delaney had previously laid out. Although Delaney advocated an entirely new colony with black leaders, Dubois talked of separate leadership within the United States rather than a new separate government.

Delaney's stint at Harvard was on of the first attempts of blacks to break into the education system that had been exclusively occupied by whites. Delaney's efforts both encouraged and inspired later African American males to break into white dominated higher education. Delaney was truly revolutionary; he not only stepped into higher education, but into one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

Malcolm X continued in the tradition...