Question

Explain how Dubois says the US contradicts the ideals of democracy and civilization

Answer 1

I that it comes from the fact that America was supposed to be the country where all men are free and equal but when it comes to Blacks, that does not apply.  Despite fighting a war that restored the Union and freed the slaves, Blacks still did not enjoy the same rights as white men hence the contradiction.

Answer 2

Because while the US was preaching for world peace and democracy through the world, US was a racially discriminatory, belligerent propagandist, suppressor of individual rights such as freedoms of thought and speech, in internal policies. A truly paradox. Du Bois first experienced southern racial prejudice as a student at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Later he was the first African American to earn degrees from Harvard (in history and sociology) and briefly attended the University of Berlin. Du Bois advocated that blacks should not be merely vocational but should develop bold leaders willing to challenge segregation and discrimination through political action.