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The Talented Tenth, By Booker T. Washington

Decent Essays

Comparing “Industrial Education for the Negro” and “The Talented Tenth”
In “Industrial Education for the Negro,” Booker T. Washington discusses the importance of skill over education. In the beginning of his article, he emphasizes the importance of skills such as working and farming to move up in the world, not just unnecessary knowledge learned in school. He then moves along to refresh the slavery our country partook in. He writes about his life in the deep south and his background experience with slavery and its effects. He uses personal hardships to describe that the slaves’ education was not developed at the same rate as their physical training, and they are still falling behind because of it. Washington’s purpose is not only to identify …show more content…

DuBois successfully informs the audience about the importance of knowledge and education in order to move up the societal ladder. He believed in “The Talented Tenth,” which were the top 10% of the African American race who would “inspire the masses” for the lower class (DuBois). Coming from an educated background, DuBois encourages the negroes of the time period to focus more on school and gaining knowledge in the arts instead of working on fields, as they had done in the past. With their knowledge, the “Talented Tenth” would be able to work with the white men in business. DuBois establishes a fear of remaining in the bottom of the societal ladder, making the audience aware of the problems that the race faces if they remain at a working …show more content…

He emphasizes this by stating “this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which must underlie true life. On this foundation we may build bread winning, skill of hand and quickness of brain”(DuBois). Washington, on the other hand, believes the negro should be educated on their desired specialty skill. He states “They do not put into their hands the tools they are best fitted to use, and hence so many failures” (Washington). Washington’s view on education differs from DuBois because he believes education should be geared towards the kind of work the negro will be

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