Edmund W. Gordon - Teachers Make a Difference - W.E.B. Du Bois, Alain Locke & Miss Perkins

The speaker reflects on influential teachers in their life, starting with Miss Perkins, their first-grade teacher, who provided comfort during childhood. They then discuss their relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois, who significantly shaped their scholarly approach by emphasizing context and meaning. The speaker describes Du Bois as a scholar of scholarship, influencing their own work to reconceptualize existing ideas. Finally, the speaker recounts how A. Locke helped them recover academically after being dismissed from Howard University, highlighting the mentorship and guidance received from both Du Bois and Locke.

How did the speaker describe their own scholarly approach compared to that of W.E.B. Du Bois?

What was the nature of the competition between Locke and W.E.B. Du Bois as described by the speaker?

What role did Locke play in the speaker's academic journey?