Black Subjectivity Debate Essay

Booker T. Washington thought that his Atlanta Compromise would make African Americans (black people) independent in America. To do this, black people would need to become subservient, play the second race to the white race, and learn an industrial education. White people are for this plan because the whites in the South considered blacks inferior and would keep their standing as the dominant race if black people give up their right to equality. Also, the whites in the North saw this program as an opportunity reconcile the South by coming to a peaceful solution for both the blacks and whites of the South. However, this plan was counterproductive to making black people free and equal in America according to Dubois because it keeps African Americans from improving as a people, keeps them from developing their race, and prevents the youth from becoming leaders in society. I concur with DuBois critique of Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise because if blacks give up political power or not fight for civil rights, and the black youth does not receive a higher education, then this will deny the black man equality in America.

Booker T. Washington believed that blacks should not push to attain equal civil and political rights with whites. That it was best to concentrate on improving their economic skills and the quality of their character. The burden of improvement resting squarely on the shoulders of the black man. Eventually they would earn the respect and love of the white man, and civil and political rights would be accrued as a matter of course. This was a very non-threatening and popular idea with a lot of whites.

Furthermore, Booker T. Washington did not share strategies with Du Bois on one side, and the strategies of W. E. B. Du Bois did not share with Washington. Booker mostly focused on education and wanted African Americans to fight for what they’re worth, to work hard and become someone important in the community. On the other hand, Washington fought for equality. He wanted the White Americans to respect the blacks. His point view was that the community should be led by the most talented. Basically, he wanted blacks and

Booker T. Washington’s philosophy and actions betrayed the interests of African Americans because he was more interested on the blacks getting educated and getting the respect of the white authorities, instead of worrying on getting their political and social equality right away, which was the main interest of the African Americans. In “The Atlanta Exposition Address”, Washington said that blacks would sacrifice their civil rights and social equality for the time being, as long as whites guaranteed that they would receive industrial education and jobs because he believed that in order to fully obtain equality, the blacks should improve themselves. “It is at the bottom of

the earth in search of it's next prey. The black supremists are making the same

Despite the racial inequality and segregation during his time, Booker T. Washington wanted to ensure that his fellow African American citizens were not only received a quality education, he also wanted to make sure that the black people of America were being taught the necessary skills that are critical in the process of becoming a successful in the world of work.

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois had significantly different views on how blacks could move towards attaining racial equality during the late nineteenth century in the United States. Washington believed that blacks should work hard to earn economic freedom by means of striving for strong education objectives. Du Bois believed that only political empowerment and voting could end African Americans oppression. Washington had the better solution to the racial inequality issue; if blacks could show whites that they could be valuable members of the workforce, while still experiencing segregation, they would win the respect of whites, which would then lead to them getting civil rights. Du Bois’ solution of demanding black suffrage upon a white population, which was still acclimating itself with the decree of blacks becoming free men, would seemingly end in anger and violence. Washington developed a solution to end racial equality in the United States that solves the problem from the ground up, which started first with obtaining the respect of the general white populace, and then leading to more civil rights laws passed by lawmakers. With a vastly different ideas, Du Bois devised a solution that solved the problem from the top down, with lawmakers forcing legislation that would only confuse and anger a white population that was already confused and angry.

This resulted from a divergence with the beliefs of Booker T. Washington, "the one Negro who had commanded national respect from both races" (Cronon, 34). Du Bois and other young, militant Negroes "resented Washington’s narrow philosophy of industrial and agricultural education and denounced his apparent submission to the increasing curbs on Negro civil and political rights in the South" (Cronon, 35). He felt that Washington was telling all blacks to accept their inferior role in society and to take on a vocation to improve their economic conditions.

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois came from very different backgrounds and as a result, they had very different thinking patterns. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery. It’s surprising that Washington grew up to become a teacher because it was illegal for him to be able to read and write as a child. Before Washington became a teacher, he always had to put learning on the backburner and work in order to support his family. In order to get into college, Washington had to walk 500 miles and work as a janitor to be able to pay his tuition. Soon after he was admitted into the college, he received a scholarship sponsored by a white man. The sponsor was General Armstrong, a commander of a

My response to this article was an eye opener. After Fanon got away from the huge mind boggling words, I kind of felt for an extremely short second what it actually felt to be a black man. I myself am a unique mixture of races and I was fortunate to have grown up in such a way that I experienced my two main cultures vividly. I can laugh with George Lopez, and feel the pain, anguish, and laughter that are associated with a Mexican American heritage. The same goes for Larry the Cable Guy, I can laugh at what he says in his stand comedy routine, because I can relate with my Anglo culture. Going back to how Fanon explains his anguish of being labeled, it's understandable, I've been there, but unlike Fanon, I

Booker T Washington and W.E.B Dubois are two African American leaders who took a different look at discrimination and segregation experienced by African-Americans. Booker T Washington wanted to take an approach to being discriminated against African Americans are going to have to learn how to put up with this. Washington took what he considered to be a more practical approach to these problems he emphasized discrimination and segregation for the time being. He also said that if African Americans would like to make more money than they need to do things that people need or want. Basically, he said African American people need to be or learn skilled trades to earn more money and improve their lives. Booker T Washington didn't want anybody else he just wanted African-American people to put up with discrimination. He wanted African Americans to cope with this. Booker T Washington also didn't challenge social segregation. He did not want to be a part of any violence so that's why he didn't challenge it because he knows that if he would have challenged the racist people then he probably would have got killed. He wanted black people to prove themselves to racist people. Black people would need to be able to do certain things that racist people can do but African

This is something that is extremely important to me, and a topic that hits very close to home. I feel like at any time that I can be the next innocent black person to be gunned down, or one of my friends or even worse one of my younger brothers. For doing absolutely nothing wrong, we can be shot by the people who swore to protect us. My biggest fear to be walking outside in the dark and to get stopped by the police. Not knowing what’s going through his head and if I even move a little that it could be my last. Seeing it happen so close to me with the Tamir Rice and the cops firing 137 shots into a car killing two people is what makes so much more terrifying. For some reason so many people don’t think it’s a real thing, and that the police are justified in all these incidents and make excuses for them every single time. Time after time they get off with little to no punishment at all.

Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois paved the pursuit for equality within the American society. Their bravery of leading those of color towards equality sparked the Civil Rights Movement, a triumph. Washington was an advocate of slowly assimilating into the white society by proving to be worthy. Washington wanted to gain economic independence through acts of peace and acceptance instead of fighting. He projected, “Cast down your bucket where you are - Cast it down in making friends … of the people of all races” (pg. 58). In his speech, Washington approached the whites in a calm manner asking for acceptance and compromise. He wanted whites to support the uprising of a multicolored society. Washington represented his principles of progression through a metaphor, “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (pg. 60). DuBois believed, “Political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of Negro youth,” were the only ways towards equality (pg. 63). Even though Washington’s approach to inequality was admirable, DuBois favored

During the early 1900’s racism towards African Americans was extremely prominent; lynching’s and beatings were a common occurrence among African Americans, they were denied access to most mainstream necessary services or segregated from others to alternatives that were far inferior in comparison to their white counterparts. During this time two revolutionary activist by the names of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois emerged in an attempt to lessen segregating in the United States and help improve the lives of African Americans. Their approaches to the subject differed a great deal in that Booker T. Washington advocated for self-help and urged African Americans to tolerate racism for the time being and to work on improving themselves through education and eventually their hard work will pay off and whites will no longer see them as outsiders and they will eventually gain their acceptance, in contrast, W.E.B Dubois believed African Americans needed to demand their rights and not wait for whites to change their mind about them. Their approaches were seen as conservative and radical, African American were divided among this two groups, having Booker T. Washington be supported by White Americans as well.

Have you ever been asked the question: If you could pick a different era to live in what era would you choose? Everyone immediately responds with the era they would have liked to be apart of, only thinking about the good things about that era. No one puts into mind the problems that were apart of each era or the struggles people faced in these eras. Booker T. Washington was born in Hales Ford, Virginia on April 5th, 1856. His mother was a slave so he was born into slavery. At the age of 16 he left home and went to Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute where he learned. He then received a job there and this school became one of the leading schools in the country. Washington publically expressed that he thought African Americans should accept discrimination as long as whites allowed them economic progress, educational opportunity and justice in courts. After working hard to advance racial equality Booker T. Washington died on November 15th, 1915 due to congestive heart failure. W.E.B. Dubois was born on February 23rd, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He attended school with white people growing up. In 1885 he moved to Nashville and attended Fisk University. Here he became fascinated in the Jim Crow laws and American racism. After Fisk he attended Harvard and learned about political perspectives he hadn't seen before. Dubois believed that African Americans should have equal rights to whites and not have to suffer for any reason. He passed