The Future of the Race: Gates, West, and Du Bois's Talented Tenth
This paper reviews Henry Louis Gates and Cornel West's The Future of the Race, a book that revisits W.E.B. Du Bois's concept of the "Talented Tenth" and its relevance to contemporary African-American life. Gates's essay draws on personal experience at an Ivy League university to examine racial identity, stereotype, and the limits of institutional goodwill. West's essay engages more directly with Du Bois's argument that educated African-Americans bear a responsibility to uplift those less fortunate, tracing the roots of Black inequality to the legacy of slavery. Together, the essays offer a critical yet admiring assessment of Du Bois's vision and its modern applications.
- Introduction: Du Bois and the Talented Tenth: Overview of book's premise and Du Bois's influence
- Gates's Personal Account of Race at an Ivy League University: Gates on racial identity and institutional limits
- West's Essay on Responsibility and the African-American Predicament: West on the Talented Tenth and collective freedom
- The Legacy of Slavery as a Socioeconomic Barrier: Slavery's role in Black socioeconomic inequality
- Conclusion: Toward Equality and Community Uplift: Both authors call for greater collective responsibility
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The paper clearly distinguishes between the two separate essays within the book, giving each author's argument its own focused treatment before synthesizing them in the conclusion.
- Direct quotations from the text are used purposefully to let Gates and West speak in their own voices, grounding the analysis in the primary source.
- The student is transparent about the limits of the book's conclusions, noting that Gates and West do not claim to have definitive answers — a sign of careful, honest reading.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates close reading combined with summary and evaluation. The student identifies each author's central argument, supports claims with textual evidence, and then offers brief critical interpretation — for example, noting that Gates's sense of individuality was constrained by racial stereotypes even in a nominally welcoming institution. This moves the paper beyond simple summary into analytical engagement.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a shared introduction covering the book's premise and Du Bois's influence. It then devotes one section each to Gates's and West's essays, followed by a brief analytical comment on West's historical argument about slavery. A short conclusion synthesizes both authors' positions. The structure is linear and essay-length, appropriate for an undergraduate book-review assignment.
Introduction: Du Bois and the Talented Tenth
Henry Louis Gates and Cornel West's The Future of the Race is an exploration and reflection on W.E.B. Du Bois's ideas surrounding the African-American predicament in America, from education to community life. Du Bois, heralded as one of the most influential American scholars of the twentieth century, emphasized the need for the educated and affluent to assist those less fortunate. He believed that the top ten percent of the race — measured in terms of education and socioeconomic status — should dedicate themselves to helping the remainder, an idea he called "The Talented Tenth." Gates and West, both admirers of Du Bois, show how his ideas can be translated into a modern context to address the problems facing the Black community. They also, however, identify internal flaws in "The Talented Tenth."
Their conclusions are not definitive. They do not claim to have all the answers to the problems within the Black community, nor do they present Du Bois's framework as the ultimate solution. They simply engage in an examination of the African-American situation and the modern approaches to addressing it.
Works Cited
Gates, Henry Louis, and Cornel West. The Future of the Race. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996.
Already a member? Log in
Unlock the rest of this paper
135,000+ research papers · AI writing tools · Plagiarism & AI detection
7-Day Pass
Does not renew
Get 7-Day PassMonthly
Renews at $12.99/month until canceled
Start MonthlyAnnual
Renews at $99/year until canceled
Start Annual- Unlimited AI writing tools
- Plagiarism and AI text detection tool
Plan details
Unlimited AI writing tools are for individual, non-automated use and are subject to our Terms of Service and abuse-prevention measures.
TextChecker scans: 3 during the 7-Day Pass, or 5 per month with Monthly and Annual.
Prices exclude applicable tax.
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.