HISTORY 4070, DR JAMES BEEBY The Great Debate: The Two Visions of Advancement for African-Americans during the Progressive Era Dominique Harney 12/2/2014 Dominique Harney Hist 4050 Dr. Beeby The Great Debate: The Two Visions of Advancement for African-Americans during the Progressive Era The United States saw many debates regarding African-Americans in the late 19th century, debates on whether they could be seen as equal citizens, debates on whether they should be allowed the rights granted to white Americans, etc. Although all of these debates garner importance, the biggest debate may have come between two men who both advocated a different plan to uplift the African-American race as a whole. The two players in this debate …show more content…
They had different ideas on how to fix the problem that African-Americans faced while living in white America. The negro problem at the time resulted from the exclusion of the negro from the group life of American society. This problem was caused by the racial prejudice that the negro faced at the time, prejudice in all aspects of American life (cultural, socially, economically, and education). The two men saw that the only way to resolve this problem was by addressing them head on; so that African-Americans could later go on to integrate with their fellow American citizens and live regular lives. The debate split African-Americans on which vision to follow, the submissive and conservative of Washington or the aggressive and straight forward vision of Dubois. The importance of these two leaders to African-American history are unparallel. When analyzing the debate regarding the problem, I feel it is useful to examine the sides taken by each player regarding the economic, social, and political conditions facing the negro at the time and how they felt it could be improved for future generations. Through analysis a vision will be constructed using the two players arguments on what one may believe would be have made a perfect unison vision for the African-American race at the time. Before the arguments are made for each side regarding on how to uplift the African-American race one must know the historical context of the time. African-Americans had just been
The debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois turned out to be one of the greatest intellectual as well as inspiring battles in our United States history. This great debate sparked the interest of African Americans and whites throughout the entire country. Both men had distinct views on how blacks should go about progressing politically, socially, as well as financially here in the United States. Both Du Bois and Washington wanted African-Americans to have the same rights as white Americans; But Du Bois encouraged African-Americans to demand equal rights, while Washington, on the other hand, often ignored discrimination. He believed that it was important for blacks to develop
Indeed, progressive era reformed the government major problems in the country, but they failed to end racial discrimination. Even thought African Americans helped the War World I and War World II, but they were not threated equally as human being in the south. Although whites and black had same mission to fight against Germany and bring democracy during World War I, but black soldiers were segregated from the whites and their commanders were white to control them. When the Great War ended, black people were still suffered from the racism in the south. However, African American fought for the freedom and democracy shoulder by shoulder in the battlefield against Germany, they were still threated as slaves and segregated from social activities
Dubois said, “Mr. Washington distinctly asks that black people give up, at least for the present, three things, --First, political power, second, insistence on civil rights, third, higher education of Negro youth, and concentrate all their energies on industrial education, and accumulation of wealth, and the conciliation of the South.” Washington believed that the blacks could not move forward without giving up political power, civil rights, and higher education. He thought they had to give up those ideas for now and focus on wealth, industrial education and be friendly with the south. He thought once these objects were accomplished then the blacks could obtain the freedom and rights they wanted. Therefore, he felt that for now the color-line was ok because blacks needed to first earn their rights before they were handed over to them.
In the late 19th and 20th century, African Americans were going through hardships. At this period of time, they wanted improvement and wanted to be treated equality but no one had the political background to fight with the Whites. However, two great leaders named Booker Washington and W.E.B Du Bois took the stance and fought for improvement. But, even though they had the goals, they had different strategies for the community.
In your own words, explain Booker T. Washington’s “separate fingers on one hand” attitude. How and why does W.E.B DuBois criticize this? How does he think that Washington’s ideas have impacted “the Negro”? Washington used that statement as a means to describe that the African American people and the whites did not have to be equal to work as a whole. DuBois criticizes this by stating Washington is a compromiser between the not only the North and South but also the Negro.
At the early turn of the 20th Century United States, there was a large debate about how the average American viewed African Americans or Negroes. As a result, white consensus geared toward putting Africans in a type of caste system, where they would consider below whites, women, and immigrants. By this point, most African Americans were just conforming to this way of life and did not seek to change this. While this occurred, many intellectual black men sought to change how society treated African Americans. At the forefront of the respected intellectual was W.E.B. Dubois who sought to shake the foundation of caste and the Harvard professor by the name of Booker T. Washington who wanted to fight within the caste system. Both men had the right idea and the same end goal, which being the enhanced rights of blacks, but by how this would be different. The point of view that has a more grounded argument is W.E.B. Dubois; as seen in how Dubois talks on the basis of fighting the disenfranchisement of political power of African-Americans, against forfeiting civil rights and working toward the equality of a higher education for Negroes.
Imagine being hung on a rope with your life crashing down right in front of your eyes. You don’t know what you did wrong besides speaking up for your rights. You think to yourself, how could people really be this evil and kill me for the color of my skin? In the 1900s, lynching was a common public form of execution used when African-Americans spoke up for their rights and equalities they deserved to have. There were many people that fought for equality using different approaches, but two of the most powerful leaders that made great change within the black community in the late 19th century and 20th century were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Booker T. Washington’s passive view on the racial inferiority of African-Americans was all about accommodation while W.E.B. DuBois's aggressive view was all based upon resistance. He wanted to fight back because he thought the racial discrimination was unacceptable while Washington wanted to accept discrimination temporarily to avoid more anti-black violence. Despite their differences in views, Washington and DuBois shared one common goal: the future equality for all African-Americans.
The status of the African-American increased little after Reconstruction. Some blacks were starting to accept their situation but two African American leaders did not. W.E.B Dubois and Booker T. Washington saw that the situation of poverty and social inequality were bringing down their race in the late 1800's and early 1900's. They came from completely different backgrounds, one rich and one a former slave, but they had the same purpose: they sought equality in the American society for African-Americans. Washington was more for slow integration into society and working your way up where as Dubois wanted immediate equality, which he thought the blacks deserved. Despite their differences two speakers would help to change the
Students participate in seminar discussion of excerpted versions of either Dubois’ article “Of the Training of Black Men” or Washington’s “Atlanta Compromise Speech” in order to better understand each man’s beliefs about the best strategy for African Americans to achieve equality at the turn of the century. Students analyze
Reconstruction failed for African Americans. By the 1890’s all optimism that came as a result of the Constitutional rights guaranteed to them by the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments was gone. Their reality, particularly for those in the South, was one of lynchings, Jim Crowe laws, and voting restrictions. They faced discrimination, segregation, limited educational opportunities, and a tenant farming system that only slightly differed from slavery. In the early twentieth century, visionaries such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Marcus Garvey recognized the urgent need for change. These great leaders were in agreement that action was required to uplift the African American race. However, their philosophies on how to approach it were vastly different.
Two great leaders of the black community in the late 19th and 20th century were W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. However, they sharply disagreed on strategies for black social and economic progress. Their opposing philosophies can be found in much of today's discussions over how to end class and racial injustice, what is the role of black leadership, and what do the 'haves' owe the 'have-nots' in the black community.
What would it be like to be looked down on everywhere you went. Or to not be able to go some places or do some things because of the color of your skin. That’s what African Americans had to go through everyday. Can you imagine? The littlest things in your daily lives had restrictions because of the color of your skin, it’s not right or just. Booker T Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were both men who essentially wanted the same thing. They both wanted equality for black and whites. Booker T. Washington was a little different in comparison to W.E.B. Washington was born a slave. He was born on a small farm in western Virginia. He had a completely different lifestyle than DuBois. W.E.B DuBois was the first African American to earn their Ph. D. He even got it from Harvard! Since they are coming from 2 different worlds it makes their approaches to ending racism very different. It’s not a bad thing, they just have 2 different thoughts about ending racism. They were both strong men who had strong beliefs about racism during the 1900’s and tried to do something about it. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois both wanted the same thing but went about getting that thing very differently.
In the American society during the late 19th and early 20th century, many people had several ideas in how the country’s development should be managed. During this, the social and political situations black Americans had to deal with was their continuous struggle for civil rights. The right not to vote was one of the biggest issue in the southern black life’s. The Jim crow law helping during this time by mandating equal rights, yet separate.
Rising from the shackles of slavery and submission to eventually become a powerful and influential political and cultural force in American Society, the African American legacy has consisted of a slow march towards greater acceptance and status. During the years of slavery from the American Revolution to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the chief concern among enslaved blacks was freedom. Post-slavery, a vast systemic inequality and exclusion was maintained in the country. Both during and after the institution of slavery had been abolished, a number of black leaders rose to prominence as individuals who fought for abolition, greater social equity, and equal political representation. By examining primary sources from three influential black leaders, I will determine the primary ways in which African Americans fought for equality and inclusion. These sources are; The Souls of Black Folk, a book by W. E. B. DuBois, an address given by Booker T. Washington regarding the Atlanta Compromise, and a speech by Marcus Garvey on his “Back to Africa” movement. I argue that from these sources there are three primary advocacy strategies used by African Americans towards the goal of greater equality and inclusion to be identified; the compromise and appeasement strategy, the aggressive political freedom strategy, and a strategy which moves beyond the confines of American political and social life towards black nationalism.The Atlanta Compromise was an agreement made between white
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