The Lives of Douglass, Du Bois, and Washington: Self-Actualization Among African American Males

Abstract

Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington are pioneering examples of African American leaders who realized the fullness of their potentialities despite profound obstacles toward growth. It was through their abilities to respond to the shared needs of the African American community that they culturally epitomized the spirit of what Abraham Maslow defined as self-actualization. The researcher utilized text-based data to examine the process of development among the three historic figures as they relate to Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. The researcher analyzed published autobiographical books, essays, and speeches authored by each of the three men while integrating the cultural and historical context of their lived experiences through the humanistic and positive psychological lens of Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. Through a qualitative autobiographical analysis of the three men, the researcher discovered 15 common attributes in their process of self-actualization. Low self-esteem, depression, and learned helplessness are negatively affecting many aspects of the African American community; therefore, community leaders, mental health practitioners, and other advocates for underserved communities of color have an opportunity to provide enhanced training and treatment to help slow the tide of unrealized potential within key sectors of the African American community.