W. E. B. Du Bois: “Jesus Christ in Texas”

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist and civil rights activist who was the first Black man to graduate from Harvard University. Du Bois used his prominent status in the Black community to educate the public about blatant discrimination and racism that targeted Blacks. Du Bois took a more aggressive approach than others at the time, such as Booker T. Washington. Du Bois felt that a direct approach was needed if change was ever to happen, and he believed it would be the Black community that would make change possible. Du Bois cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was the editor of The Crisis, a magazine affiliated with the organization. Eventually, he chose to dissociate himself from the NAACP because he felt the organization was too passive in pursuing equal rights for Blacks. Du Bois’s writings reflect his criticism of white racism toward Blacks and the failure of white and Black leaders alike to address the issue of discrimination. Most of his work speaks plainly and directly, including his most famous publication, The Souls of Black Folk, but his short story “Jesus Christ in Texas” takes a slightly different approach. Originally published in Du Bois’s collection Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil in 1920, the short story is meant to stir a response in the reader. Du Bois questions the very essence of Christianity through the eyes of the main character and his interactions with the various people he encounters. In many ways, Du Bois is reiterating his message from previous writings: discrimination and racism will prevail absent a more aggressive approach in promoting civil rights.