Du Bois’s Horizon : Documenting Movements of the Color Line

摘要: "The problem of the Twentieth Century is color-line" In 1903 W. E. B. Du Bois's clarion call opened The Souls Black Folk. But color line which he spoke was a that had many different configurations throughout his career. Horizon: Journal Color Line, magazine edited and published from 1907-1910, interrogated ways in alternative perspectives might invest trope with more nuanced cartographies. horizon represented shifting meriting neither guileless optimism sunrise nor resigned nature sunset. For Bois two fellow editors, Freeman H. M. Murray L.N. Hershaw, existed only as phenomenon witness. As cover ran on Horizon much 1908 attests, best understood by consciousness perspective. On we see back young woman placing her hand to forehead block rays sun it sits horizon. How she sees expanse, how copes angle perspective, suggests an acute awareness seemingly fixed relative always movement, angle, point view. Grappling or break through formed very rationale Horizon. Essentially small journal specializing issues American press they pertained people color, about 25 pages so length during first few years its incarnation when later money time became constrained, reduced approximately 12 pages. Throughout 1907 Washington D.C., printing moved Alexandria, Virginia, then, 1909 until end 1910, again Washington. (1) Its peripatetic well reflected contents for, despite tight organizational structure theory, featured three sections were broad-ranging practice. Section one, Over-Look, Bois; section two, In-Look, Murray; three, Out-Look, primarily L. Hernshaw. While these each organizing principles, their emphasis relentless In-Look functioned "Digest Negro-American Press," Out-Look Daily Periodical Over-Look served digest opinions general catch-all for books, political discussions, literary gossip, anything else fed omnivorous appetite ideas. (2) Murray, Hernshaw, relatively men living Atlanta conceived radical response what saw almost complete monopoly black supportive Booker T. concomitant policies pacifying accommodating conservative white status quo. (3) Herbert Apetheker, biographer, aptly characterizes "organ militant Niagara Movement" (vii). This true, did function mouthpiece movement regularly updates, squibs, manifestos movement. (4) Yet telling artifact turn century both raises questions interactions between mainstream America offers us further insight into growing fascination concept "documentation" itself be redefined twentieth century. Horizon, appeared 1907, needs arising out nineteenth-century figurations documentation particular African tradition. By challenging analyzing vicissitudes press, not seeking invalidate idea documentation. Instead, sought destabilize seek authentication instead destabilizing process itself. …