Black Intellectuals the Book by William M. Banks

¶ … Black Intellectuals, by William M. Banks. Specifically, it will briefly state the main themes/ideas of the articles, and discuss the impression the book made on the reader. BLACK INTELLECTUALS William M. Banks attempts to survey the culture and society of black intellectuals in his book, and looks at their history. His main thesis seems to illustrate the many obstacles blacks have had to face in order to gain education during their history in the United States.

He clearly shows it has not always been easy for intellectual blacks to make their way in America, or even receive a good education. Banks discusses some very prominent black American intellectuals, such as Alexander Crummell, Frederick Douglass, Anna Cooper, W.E.B. Du Bois, Alain Locke, and Toni Morrison. In addition, he discusses how even the more educated slaves acted as resources to the people around them, and served as an inspiration to others who wanted to learn to read, write, and make a better world for their people.

Banks shows how blacks have always turned to their "wise" men in times of trouble and strife, and this continued in America, even though their wise men were no longer priests and medicine men, but men and women who learned to read and write. The author also shows how literacy threatened the entire slavery system in the South, and why the owners were so emphatic their slaves would remain ignorant. Intelligent slaves might actually begin to question their lives, and their bondage, as education always encourages questioning and wonder.

Literate slaves could also forge their own documents to escape the South, and so only the most trusted slaves were taught to read and write. As Banks continues through the modern history of the black intellectual, he covers some of the low points and high points, and does in-depth profiles of many of the people he found the most important in black intellectual development.

For example, he discusses Zora Neale Hurston and her contribution to the Harlem Renaissance, which flourished in New York City during the 1920s, yet he also shows how white patrons could influence the arts of these intellectuals because they had to conform, even as they tried to expand their consciousness and grow intellectually.

By the time integration first began to be mentioned in the 1940s, Banks notes that most intellectual opportunities were still "shaped by racism" (Banks 130-31); the times became more hopeful as people of all colors began to realize the contribution blacks could make to society. They fought and died alongside white soldiers in World War II, and they wanted a more equal society when they returned from the war. The underlying theme of all the chapters is how black intellectuals deal with their race, and their intellectuality.

Some scholars manage to balance the two sides of their lives, and some do not. Banks shows how difficult it has been to be black and an intellectual throughout history, and how many blacks have suffered because of it. Early on, even free blacks had to fight for schools and education for their children, and later, their own community as well as the white community often ostracized them for their determination to continue their education. Ultimately, this book shows how blacks have had to fight.