Washington Vs Dubois Analysis

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were extremely different people who had extremely different ideas on how to best tackle racism in America. Booker T. Washington preferred the passive approach, and often told African Americans that they were responsible for amending racism. In his Atlanta Compromise Speech, Booker T. stated “Our greatest danger is that in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands, and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labour, and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life… It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.” As Booker T. stated later in his Atlanta Compromise speech, “The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremest folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing… It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercise of these privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is

washington knew that blacks would never be equal to the whites. DuBois wrote a book called, "We want to be Americans, full-fledged Americans, with all the rights of American citizens." DuBois also criticized Washington's Tuskegee approach as an attempt "to educate black boys and girls simply as servants and underlings." DuBois had become the leading black figure in the United States. Dubois encouraged African-Americans to work hard, regardless of their careers. 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. Washington, on the other hand, often ignored discrimination. He believed that it was important for blacks to develop good relationships with whites. He was afraid that blacks who demanded equal rights would create ill will between themselves and white Americans. Washington said to an all white audience that "In all things social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress." That quote meant that blacks and whites can all do the same things. In conclusion, Booker T. Washington focused on having education for real life jobs and not asking for equality from the

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.

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.

There were two major leaders in the African American community in the 19th and 20th century, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois. Washington and Dubois were both leaders in the fight for black equivalence. Washington was perhaps the distinguished black lecturer at the curve of the time period and Dubois was one of the creators of the NAACP. Together they concurred that the objective was maximum contribution by blacks in American society. The variances in their upbringings affected both of their decisions on how that objective could be attained.

The political action and social reform during the late 19th and early 20th century ultimately lead to the Civil Rights movement and the end of racial segregation. The Civil Rights movement dealt with problems of inequality and disenfranchisement of African Americans that began in the post-civil war era. W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington are considered by historians, two of the prominent leaders of the black community in the late 19th and early 20th century who sought inclusion and equality through social and economic progress. While their end goals were the same, the means in which they utilized their platforms and their philosophy on how best to accomplish this varied. Among other accomplishments, DuBois’ efforts in the civil rights

Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois recognized that there was a gap between them that took completely different approaches to achieve one goal. Until the time of Du Bois, Washington was among many of the black activists. Many people today still condemn the views of Washington and his “racial uplift.” Washington being educated in Hampton, a Freedman’s Bureau, believed that if you were taught the skills, African Americans would be able to improve themselves economically and the rest of equality would follow. But DuBois on the other hand was educated at Harvard, and he

He and his Niagara Movement often announced fundamental disagreement with Booker T. Washington, most significantly on the Atlanta Compromise, which DuBois argued was ‘a complete surrender of the demand for civil and political equality.’ Washington and DuBois often found themselves at odds ideologically, with DuBois publishing a highly critical review of ‘Up from Slavery’, arguing in favour of a black academic sphere focused on liberal arts, as contemporary white universities were, as opposed to the dissemination of industrial and technical skills championed by Washington. Disagreements like these were ultimately counterproductive in reducing racial discrimination, as to those not yet involved, the movement appeared weaker and less worthwhile because of them. Furthermore, as Washington often argued, the radical views of DuBois often served to agitate Southern whites, and may have served to alienate white liberals who might otherwise have been sympathetic to the civil rights movement. Indeed, when DuBois appeared as the first black speaker at the American Historical Association in 1909 he shocked the audience by arguing against the mainstream view that the Reconstruction was a failure caused by black ineptitude, instead blaming the federal government’s poor management of the Freedmen’s Bureau. When DuBois’ paper was published in the American Historical Review several months later, it was ignored by outraged white scholars. This is not to say that DuBois did not work towards improvement in the lives of African-Americans however and as a co-founder of the NAACP, he took indirect part in landmark legal cases defending the de jure rights of African-Americans. For example, in the 1915 case of Guinn v. the United States, with NAACP support, Guinn convinced the Supreme Court that the

Hinting at the Washington was more committed to the process of making the black citizens of the United States better. Washington was trying to focus more on how to improve or resolve the race relations between blacks and whites back in history. Web Bois tried to maintain the thought of education and civil rights were the only way to gain the right equality for the blacks and whites. Washington and Bois always seemed to clash heads because they both had their different opinions on how to gain equality for both blacks and whites.

WEB Dubois wanted the opposite things that Booker T. Washington wanted. He believed that being book smart could help blacks to get anywhere in life. He wanted blacks to be as educated as whites were. The more educated blacks became, the closer they became to being equal to whites, Dubois believed. He also believe that economic equality was not enough, blacks should also be more educated. While Booker T. Washington just wanted blacks to have economic opportunities, Dubois wanted blacks to have economic opportunities as well as being equal to

On 18 September 1895, Booker T. Washington, a renowned educator and spokesman for African Americans, stood before a predominately Caucasian audience at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta. He attempted to offer a compromise concerning African American acceptance among Caucasians. In his address, he encouraged African American to, in paraphrase, “Set aside, at least for the present time, the folly of seeking social equality and focus attention on being good neighbors to Caucasians” (Washington, 2016). While some African Americans were moved by Washington’s proposal, others were not. Among those who were not moved, was Mr. W.E.B DuBois, who was also a prominent leader among African Americans, as well as a professor of history and economics, and a co-founder of the NAACP. In his essay, “Of Mr. Booker T Washington and Others,” W.E.B Dubois effectively utilized the literary rhetorical devices to make a persuasive case that African Americans must continue to pursue equal rights which would enable them to progress in society.

W.B.E. DuBois provides many convincing aspects of his criticism towards Washington’s educational platform. One of them is the Atlanta Compromise, one of Washington’s most notable things in his career. DuBois didn’t see what the point of giving up multiple human rights to get an education. The education would be useless if they can’t defend their own rights. Another aspect that DuBois touches on is when Washington played a large role in the disfranchisement of the colored, legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority for the colored, and the firm withdrawal of aid from institutions for the higher training of the colored. W.B.E. DuBois’ long term goals for African- Americans were the right to vote, civic equality, and the education

Washington, an educator,and african american leader, alternatives and ideas. Du Bois did not agree with Washington’s racial accommodation. Washington wanted for white americans to provide jobs for african americans, and in return blacks would give up their demands in social equality and rights. Without saying much DuBois believed that Washington was violating the insistence on civil rights, political power, and on the education of negro youth. Throughout the excerpt Du Bois expressed his believes in what he thought Washington was doing

Moreover, W.E.B. Dubois’s main idea is that African Americans do not need to prove themselves to nobody and they deserve equality. What Washington is doing is accepting social segregation and racism, which should not be tolerated for any reason. In addition, he demands that his race should not wait for equality as it should be given already. In his point of view, he sees everyone the same and no race should be superior to one another, so they should not wait to feel accepted by the white race. They are already worthy of their rights and deserve the same opportunities as others. He believes that every individual should be treated with respect and dignity.