Arthur A. Schomburg's The Negro Digs Up His Past

The Negro Evolves Bethany Verrillo Slavery by definition is the captivity and states of bondage the Negros were placed in daily. This was a long and hard battle black people fought in order to achieve a greater position in life. As the struggle continued, the drive for social acceptance, equality and a desire to contribute their culture to be remembered throughout history became the goal of many. The Negro race has greatly evolved from the struggle of inequality to the desire for his/her freedom and contributions to the world. Two authors take a look at the progress Negros have made since their beginning, and they evaluate their contributions to history. Arthur A. Scholmburg shows the Negro's strive for a place in history in "The Negro Digs
In "The Negro Digs Up His Past", Schomburg describes the Negro as having had, " a definite desire and determination to have a history, [one that was] well documented" (Schomburg 61). Because of this desire, the Negro became, "a pioneer in the struggle for his own freedom and advancement" (Schomberg 62). According to Schomberg this was done in three ways. The first was that the Negro was an active collaborator, taking ideas and combining them together in order to achieve a goal. By having a creative method to achieve his goals the Negro could push toward prospering in different areas such as business, family and culture. The second was that the Negro held the virtue of being exceptional, which meant striving to do his best. Pursuing his best was his hope to reach new levels that were feared the Negro race could not be considered exceptional in and by doing so prove his equalization to the white race. The last was dealing with group achievement. The Negro hoped to only prosper individually, but to show the advancement of the race through group achievements. A desire to be remembered in history convinced the Negro to put forth effort in projects regarding their culture. With the goal of maintain and preserving culture the Negro, "slowly and with difficulty" (Schomberg 61) began to advance. Institutions such as the American Negro Academy were founded, eventually followed by research facilities like The Negro Society for Historical Research. Places like these contained, "the world of books and documents dealing with the Negro" (Schomberg 65). A place where the Negro could keep items describing his past ensured a preservation of Negro history. By doing this the Negro culture could one day be studied. If he could look at his past he can set goals for his future and learn from his mistakes. He can be proud of his advancements and therefore increase racial pride. Schomberg ended his story