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John Dewey and His Evolving Perceptions of Race Issues in American Democracy Audrey Cohan Ed.D Molloy College, [email protected]

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John Dewey and His Evolving Perceptions of Race Issues in American Democracy Audrey Cohan Ed.D Molloy College, Acohan@Molloy.Edu Molloy College DigitalCommons@Molloy Faculty Works: Education Spring 2017 John Dewey and his Evolving Perceptions of Race Issues in American Democracy Audrey Cohan Ed.D Molloy College, [email protected] Charles F. Howlett h.DP . Molloy College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/edu_fac Part of the Education Commons DigitalCommons@Molloy Feedback Recommended Citation Cohan, Audrey Ed.D and Howlett, Charles F. Ph.D., "John Dewey and his Evolving Perceptions of Race Issues in American Democracy" (2017). Faculty Works: Education. 24. https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/edu_fac/24 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Molloy. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Works: Education by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Molloy. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Teaching Social Studies: Vol. 17, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2017 John Dewey and his Evolving Perceptions of Race Issues in American Democracy Charles F. Howlett & Audrey Cohan, Molloy College the adoption of the narrower meaning of efficiency Although the election of America’s first African- deprives it of its essential justification” (Dewey, American President offered a glimmer of hope, 1916, p. 122). Despite Dewey’s own firmly held change, and potential for social justice issues to beliefs influenced by the time period in which he impact diverse minorities in America, the lived, he was nonetheless conscious of the emergence of the Black Lives Matter Movement disconnection between racial prejudice and the true continues to resonate among people of color who nature of American democracy. How did Dewey believe that the promise of American democracy come to grips with this social inconsistency and has yet to be achieved. Over one hundred years ago, what advice did he give to his readers? the nation’s most famous philosopher, progressive educator, and strongest advocate for the democratic way of life, John Dewey (1916), briefly addressed Dewey’s Activism on Behalf of African- the matter of race in what many consider his most Americans famous work, Democracy and Education. “An Dewey’s concern for African-Americans dates back undesirable society”, he wrote, to the early years of the 1900s. The denial of Blacks to access for basic civil and political rights, along …is one which internally and externally sets with lynchings in the South as well as inferior up barriers to free intercourse and educational facilities, did not reflect his conception communication of experience. A society of democracy. In February 1909, Dewey, along with which makes provision for participation in sixty noted African-American and white leaders its good of all its members on equal terms signed a manifesto written by Oswald Garrison and which secures flexible readjustment of Villard, the grandson of the famous abolitionist its institutions through interaction of the William Lloyd Garrison, calling for a National different forms of associated life is in so far Negro Conference. This “Call for the Lincoln democratic. (p. 99) Emancipation Conference” occurred on May 31 and June 1st, at the United Charities Building in New Dewey elaborated, “[I]f democracy has a moral and York City. Along with Villard, Dewey joined with ideal meaning, it is that a social return be demanded W.E.B. DuBois, William Lloyd Garrison, Jr., from all and that opportunity for development of William English Walling, Mary White Ovington, distinctive capacities be afforded all. The separation and Anna Garland Spencer at this National Negro of the two aims in education is fatal to democracy; [16] Teaching Social Studies: Vol. 17, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2017 Conference address calling for equal opportunities women to her home in order to encourage them to for all African-Americans. Dewey noted: join the women’s suffrage movement—shortly after the establishment of the NAACP. When the All points of skill are represented in every building’s owner of Dewey’s residence in New race, from the inferior individual to the York City found out about the gathering he quickly superior individual, and a society that does forbade any other integrated meetings. not furnish the environment and education and opportunity of all kinds which will bring The war experience, out and make effective the superior ability along with his wherever it is born, is not merely doing an journey to Japan injustice to that particular race and to those and China further particular individuals, but it is doing an sensitized Dewey’s injustice to itself for it is depriving itself of interest in the just that much of social capital. (Dewey, psychological, 1909, pp. 156-157) political, social and economic causes of Figure 1: John Dewey’s first The audience nodded in agreement with Dewey’s years at Columbia University racism, which in the (1909) argument regarding social heredity when he 1920s he characterized as a “social disease.” insisted that “there is no ‘inferior race,’ and the Scholar Thomas D. Fallace’s article (2010) notes members of a race so-called should each have the that prior to this decade Dewey could be classified same opportunities of social environment and an ethnocentrist because he considered Americans personality as those of a more favored race” (p. of color to be biologically equal to Caucasians but 156). What really mattered, Dewey proclaimed, is socially deficient. Although he did not tie skin color that it is “the business of society as a whole today, to cultural development, Dewey, like most of his to see to it that the environment is provided which contemporaries at the time, had ignored the cultural will utilize all of the individual capital that is being contributions of non-White societies. His born into it” (p. 156). The outcome of this appreciation for non-White cultures changed conference led to the founding of the National dramatically in the very early years of the 1920s as Association for the Advancement of Colored People he would no longer make “reference to the (NAACP) a year later. psychological and/or sociological stages of His commitment to educational equality was development.” “After the First World War,” Fallace further expressed in 1913, when working with the (2010) points out, Dewey “focused more on National Kindergarten Association. In this instance, reflective thinking, interaction, and plurality as a bid for funds from the General Education Board in major components of his educational vision.” As the amount of $10, 400 was requested in order to Dewey further considered issues of culture and support a “Colored Demonstration Kindergarten in sociology, he “expanded his view into a pluralistic each of the 13 southern states” (Stack, 2009, p. 20). appreciation of cultures as different, equally valid The appeal for funding was denied. Such rejection ways of looking at the world. His subtle revision of came following the activism of Dewey’s wife, his earlier views on culture represented a significant Alice, and her attempts to invite African-American [17] Teaching Social Studies: Vol. 17, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2017 addition that allowed his work to remain relevant Such an example, coupled with nativist attitudes well into the 20th century and beyond” (p. 476). toward minority groups, convinced Dewey that a Fallace’s (2010) observation is reflected in a societal mindset of understanding about equality of lengthy paper Dewey (1922a) presented before the races would take time to achieve. He noted, Chinese Social and Political Science Association “Individuals here and there achieve freedom from and subsequently published as “Racial Prejudice prejudice and rational control of instinctive bias and Friction.” Dewey (1922a) proclaimed that with comparative ease.” Moreover, when inequality “Race prejudice is a deep-seated and widespread was examined from a societal perspective, he social disease” (p. 243). Although most of his further commented, “But the mass cannot attain it remarks were directed at attempts to limit until there has been a change not only in education, immigration and nativist intolerance towards and in the means of publicity, but also in political foreigners, he also chose to address the issue of and industrial organization” (Dewey, 1922a, pp. racial discrimination as it affected African- 253-254). Americans. “[A]ny people held in subjection and at Between the World Wars, Dewey strongly great disadvantage economically and politically,” he addressed the issue of racial prejudice in America as states, “is bound to show the consequences. It is he believed far greater energy had been expended kept back while the other people go ahead. Then the by the entrenched interests of social reformers than dominant group finds plenty of facts to quote in in the condemnation of obsolete customs and support of their belief in their own superiority” (p. institutions. In Human Nature and Conduct, he 248). pointed out that “The primary accusation…must be Dewey’s shift in beliefs was solidified during this directed against those who, having power, refuse to bureaucratic movement in which administrative use it for amelioration. They are the ones who progressives tested for “intelligence” and kept accumulate the wrath that sweeps away customs detailed records of this in the armed forces. His and institutions in an undiscriminating way” observations noted the bureaucratic complexities of (Dewey, 1922, pp. 167-168). the time and were clearly articulated as he His concern was certainly justified in light of the remarked, nativist impulse taking hold in the postwar years. In the psychological tests given American The rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan with its dislike conscripts during the late war, the Negroes towards immigrants, Jews, Roman Catholics, and as a group ranked low. This fact might be African-Americans could not be taken lightly; it seized upon to prove their case by those who posed a threat to Dewey’s understanding of hold to inherent inferiority.
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