Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Du Bois: Contrasting Approaches to African American Equality

Segregation of African american had been present in the United States since the early 1600’s. In the mid-nineteenth century, African American leaders have proposed many different theories and methods to address the injustices posed by the white majority on to the African American population. The individuals who led the fight against discrimination includes Booker T. Washington and William E.B, who took completely different approaches in order to deal with this unfair treatment of African Americans. Du Bois. Booker T. Washington took a more gradual approach towards African American equality while Du Bois took a more immediate stance.

His approach was appropriate for the time because he advocated for African American’s rights right after the Civil War while there was an infinite amount of hard feelings towards former slaves. W.E.B Du Bois’ approach was too extreme for his time.  When he advocated for the rights of African American’s it was about twenty years after the Civil War.  Even twenty years later there were still great amounts of ill will towards former slaves.  Du Bois tried to force his ideas on whites too much too fast.  He wanted instant gratification while Washington settled for the long term. Despite their differences, both Booker T. Washington and William E.B. Du Bois took steps to improve their fellow African Americans’ lives from 1877-1915.

W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington were two of the most notable leaders who advocated as black assimilation into white America through the education of the black community. They encouraged black individuals to blend into society by becoming skilled workers. They also believed that by doing so the black community would be accepted by whites and would raise in social level. According to Document A, the school enrollment by race was much lower for blacks in the period before when Washington and Du Bois became a great impact on the educational system. Beginning around 1905, there was an upward spike in Black schooled children which is credited to the efforts and influence from Washington and Du Bois.

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From 1890-1910, the percentage of illiteracy in blacks decreased by over half as shown in Document B. Du Bois and Washington also helped reduce the racial discriminations against blacks. Based on document F, to urge on racial discrimination Du Bois founded the Niagara Movement in 1905. The fecal matter hardened the responsibility for racial problems in the United States on Whites.

It urged Blacks to maintain for what they are entitled to and and then oppose the views of Booker T. Washington, who pressured Blacks to stop demanding equalise regenerates. Document H indicates that his ideas received much scrutiny. People accused his emphasis on vocational training as an idea which stifled the progress of the black race because it condemned the education received by college educated blacks. Also, many believed that vocational education served as a barrier which kept blacks from achieving higher levels of education. Furthermore, many thought that Washingtons methods did nothing to help black racial progress and thought accommodationism created a larger polarization between blacks and whites. Furthermore, Document J clearly expresses how Washingtons acceptance to submit to white authority did nothing to help the discrimination faced by his race. The portrait depicts a white man and a black man drinking water from separate water fountains.

The black water fountain is labeled as For Colored Only, communicating that Jim Crowe serves as a significant aspect of post reconstruction Southern culture. Failure to challenge white authority would only allow the whites to continue their discrimination towards the blacks. Du Bois strongly promoted didactics for Blacks. Without education, millions of Blacks would not metamorphose for jobs. His education was responsible for his leadership. Du Bois was the first Black-American to crystallize a Ph.D. at Harvard University. His wide of the mark usage of vocabulary helped him gain the support of many. Du Bois believed that in stray for people to work and view progress they necessitate to fork up basic rights. According to document E, he believed that Blacks could not be disadvantaged of education, the right to vote, and other civic rights. Du Bois similarly helped found the field association for the Advancement of Colored flock (NAACP), which was a gracious rights governing to oppose segregation and racial discrimination.

Although Washington and Dubois were two of most famous people who took different approaches to deal with this unfair treatment of African Americans, there were many people who opposed both methods that Washington and Dubois employed, and claimed that more emphasis needed to be placed on the current situation of the African American race. According to document I, After the Reconstruction had just ended in 1877, Carter Woodson argued that emphasis should have been placed on the current economic situation of the blacks rather than the possibility of political equality. He believed that current issues should have been given emphasis because their rewards would have been more easily obtainable. This criticized both methods as Washington and Dubois focused on long term rewards rather than short term rewards.

Throughout the course of American history, the fight for equality will forever be the most influential movement on our present society. And it could not have been brought about without the strategies and feats by African American leaders like W.E.B DuBois and Booker T. Washington. Washington’s and Dubois’s method’s in dealing with black racial discrimination and poverty received much criticism. I believe that Washington’s ideas were more appropriate for is time because he advocated for African American’s rights right after the Civil War while there was an infinite amount of hard feelings towards former slaves and expected it to happen over a long period of time unlike DuBois.

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