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

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In the early 20th century, two prominent African American figures, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois had distinct viewpoints on strategies towards achieving racial equality through education. While Washington emphasized industrial education and gradual integration, DuBois preferred a higher education that promotes civil rights activism. Through the comparisons of their philosophies, it is believed that DuBois’s approach is more effective than Washington’s. Washington’s philosophy of industrial education, manual labor, and accommodation would only keep the African Americans in their societal status; whereas DuBois’s desire for achieving higher education builds a clearer perception of identity. Washington stated that African Americans must “live by the production of [their] hands” and “no matter what …show more content…

Given these considerations, “[making] the community. dependent upon [African Americans],” in other words, using the supply and demand law to attain their desired position and respect is challenging as their labor value is diminished by alternate resources (Washington 80). Meanwhile, DuBois thinks that African Americans must enforce “social regeneration., [solve] problems of race., and evolve higher individualism” through education (DuBois 619-626). This education would not only “give the world new points of view,” but also evoke “self-consciousness, self-realization, [and] self-respect” within the race (DuBois 641, 185-186). With the knowledge, the race would be able to ruminate about their identity and responsibilities, then “merge [their] double self into a better and true self” (Dubois 597, 95-96). According to DuBois, this rising “veil” from the African Americans allows them to retain blackness while finally “attaining [their] place in the world” (Dubois 189,

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