Booker T. Washington: Civil Rights Activist

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois were two of the most influential black men that led to the push for civil rights. However, their philosophies differed greatly. They were vocal about their disagreements, and their opposing strategies are still discussed today in discussions regarding ending today’s racism. Booker T. Washington was born a slave, and grew up to be an incredibly influential man. Washington is famous for his inspiring Atlanta Compromise speech, where he spoke about how blacks should respond to racial tensions.

Civil Rights and advancing of racial equality has been a major issue for many, many years and seems to still be today. There are periods of time when the intensity is at a low and periods of time when it seems to be very volatile. Sound our focus be on economic opportunities, as outlined by Booker T. Washington, or for addressing the disfranchisement of African Americans that Charles W. Chesnutt described. A broad educational background, permitting vocational adaptability and flexibility, seems more imperative but then one could argue that you cannot obtain that education without the representation and protection of our civil rights. Can a great education change things.

Two Great Men “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. ”- Thomas a. Edison Frederick Douglas and Booker T. Washington were both amazing civil rights activists. Frederick Douglas was a runaway slave who worked to end slavery.

Washington and DuBois in the Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction Era began in the years following the Civil War in which many African-American slaves finally achieved freedom after centuries of slavery. The Civil War brought about freedom to approximately four million slaves but also brought about a new set of challenges and struggles that the African-American community would have to face. The Reconstruction Era, also known as the Radical Reconstruction, occurred during the years of 1865 and 1877, in which many freed African Americans struggled to assimilate into society while also being faced with numerous societal and economical limitations.

“Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work,” this is a quote by the educator, author and orator, known as Booker T. Washington. He was one the influential black leaders in the United States. Washington was adherent on the idea of an industrial education and hard work, so former slaves can receive a well-paying job and live a prosperous life. He believed this would show blacks as productive members in society and lead them to true equality. Booker T. Washington’s education led him to freedom because it gave him the economic independence that he needed to be successful in society, which led him to his true freedom.

The sleeve of the hand is labeled Booker T. Washington to show that he is helping each of the ethnic groups together reach towards the banner labeled “equality and better lives for all.” Each of the fingers is labeled a different ethnic group to emphasize that they are “as separate as the fingers,” but all on the same hand reaching toward “mutual progress.” On the index finger labeled “African- Americans,” there is also a ring with the words “industrial education” to symbolize that Washington believed that industrial education and jobs were the first steps to equality for African-Americans as opposed to Dubois who thought that demanding civil rights was the first step. The ribbon is labeled “equality and better lives for all” because that is what Washington aimed for.

These two individuals have varying views on the education of black Americans. Booker T Washington took the view that proper higher education made for the betterment of the black community. He believed that taking pride in one’s race and becoming responsible citizens is what would help the black Americans against the racial discrimination they received. He also helped to create black higher education. The main difference between these two arguments is that one focused on education while the other focused more on social action.

Booker T. and W.E.B Conformity and rebellion are two separate entities. This was not the case during the 18th and early 19th century. This time period witness a sudden change in the stance of a slave. The slave was now free in America which caused a great upheaval on the role that the “new free man” should take in America’s economy. Two sides were drawn between whether the “new free man” should continue to work for the white man or should pursue education.

On January 15, 1929 a very important person was born, even though they didn 't know it at the time. It was Martin Luther King Jr., he had done a lot of great things over his life. Martin is a very important person in our history of civil rights movement. On December 25, 1955 Martin was 26 years old.

Dr. John Henrik Clarke was an author, historian, educator, poet, civil activist and -autodidact leader. Born John Henry Clark on January 1, 1915, in Unions Springs, Alabama to John Clark, a sharecropper, and Willie Ella Mays Clark, a laundress. Although he was born in Alabama, he grew up in Georgia. “Clarke decided to add an “e” to his family name Clark and changed his middle name to “Henrik” after the Scandinavian rebel playwright Henrik Ibsen” (Markoe, 120). He grew up during an era where Jim Crow was pervasive in which “equal but separate” became the custom and repressive law for African Americans.