Booker T. Washington And W. E. B. Dubois

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Some of the central themes Booker T. Washington went over in his speech, “Atlanta Exposition Address” that this essay will address were the uplift of African-Americans through self-help, and a focus on economic equality instead of political and civil rights. As well as a focus on industrial and agricultural labor for African-Americans instead of professions that require an academic college education. W.E.B. DuBois in “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others” expressed themes meant for the advancement of African-Americans such as full enfranchisement, civic equality, and education of youth according to their unique abilities, not only a focus on labor intensive work. This essay will also address potential reasons why Booker T. Washington and …show more content…

Dubois expressed his view that full enfranchisement, civic equality, and education were the appropriate techniques for the advancement of African-Americans, instead of the previously described methods of Mr. Washington, in the following excerpt from his speech “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others.” “They do not expect that the free right to vote, to enjoy civic rights, and to be educated, will come in a moment. They do not expect to see the bias and prejudices of years disappear at the blast of a trumpet; but they are absolutely certain that the way for a people to gain their reasonable rights is not by voluntarily throwing them away and insisting that they do not want them; that the way for a people to gain respect is not by continually belittling and ridiculing themselves. That, on the contrary, Negroes must insist continually, in season and out of season, that voting is necessary to modern manhood, that color discrimination is barbarism, and that black boys need education as well as white boys.” Through this passage, Dubois asserted his belief that the appropriate way to ensure racial equality is by way of insisting on education, and enfranchisement being available to all races. Dubois also discredited the attitude Washington had about his fellow African-Americans which was that they believed they could receive full equality quickly through artificial forcing instead of fighting to “earn” rights and privileges over the long …show more content…

Their difference in geological location would have had a tremendous impact on what strategy they consider correct for uplifting their people. For example, Washington’s childhood in the South as a former slave would make him accustomed to being treated as significantly lower than whites through racism based violence, lack of opportunities, and the denial of any academic education, so he would be more willing to preach a plan which emphasized improvement through agricultural economic growth. Another factor for Washington would be the desire to meet white Southerners half-way to receive at least some benefits for his people immediately while hoping for full civil equality later on, as well as the wish to avoid any personal backlash or violence from said white Southerners. Meanwhile, DuBois being from the North would be much more accustomed to receiving rights to education, and social development during this period, leading him to demand more civil and political equality for African-Americans. Dubois also would not have been subject to or seen as much racism based violence and intimidation of the time in his community such as lynchings, beatings, and people being burned at the stake as Washington certainly would have experienced in

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