African American Daily Life Charts | Minnesota Historical Society

Historical context

At the Paris Exposition in 1900, W.E.B. DuBois displayed an exhibit about the current conditions of African Americans. The exhibit included hundreds of photographs, maps, and books, as well as a series of statistical charts, created by students at Atlanta University. DuBois collected charts demonstrating various aspects of African American life, to share with the world the successes and the struggles of black Americans. This set of charts highlights daily life, including jobs, education, and personal life.

Culturally relevant pedagogy considerations

A key point made by culturally relevant pedagogy scholars is that fostering students' cultural competence growth needs to go deeper than representation. When introducing this set to students, critically consider what students are asked to do with this data and how students might respond to or connect with that data based on the cultural expertise they bring with them into the classroom. Create space for students to critically examine the data and draw connections between 1890 and today. What would happen if students decided why this data matters and how it can inform the present? What might they create?

Classroom ready resources

Using Data to Make Change (High School)

Life Pauperism

Pauperism among American Negroes

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Religion

Religion of American Negroes

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Crime

Crime among American Negroes

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Landholders

Negro landholders in various states of the United States

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life-Classes

Proportion of whites and Negroes in the different classes of occupations in the United States

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Daily Life Illiteracy

Illiteracy of the American Negroes compared with that of other nations

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life School Enrollment

Enrollment in the Negro common schools of the former slave states of the United States

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Conjugal Condition

Conjugal condition of American Negroes according to age periods

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Daily Life Occupations

Occupations in which 10,000 or more American Negroes are engaged

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Daily Life Occupations

Occupations in which American Negroes are engaged

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Newspaper

American Negro newspapers and periodicals

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart