Two black leaders emerged in the tumultuous years following the Civil War - one from the North and one from the South. Both wanted equal rights for blacks but they did not agree on how to attain these changes in American society. These men were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. They had similarities but also differences in their upbringing, education, and ideas for a path forward for black Americans at the time.
African -American history predated the emergence of the United States as an independent country, and African – American literature was similarly in deep roots. Jupiter Hammon who was considered as the first published Black writer in America, he published his first poem named, “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries”in 1761. Through his poem, he implemented the idea of a gradual emancipation as a way to end slavery. His idea was later reprinted in some works such as Le Mulatre a short story published in 1837 by Victor Sejour
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois were two of the most influential advocates for African American equality during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (Blatty, 1). Although both men ultimately had the same goal, their methods for achieving African American equality were remarkably different.
The black folk were freed by the abolition of slavery, yet this new freedom was not so. Ther identity was forever fractured between black and American, and even after they internalized the whites’ perspectives of them, they still wanted to be both without the disadvantages and racism. They were degraded, dehumanize, and shamed for their lack of education and job skills.
William Edward Burghardt(W.E.B) Du Bois was one of the most prominent African- American protest leaders in the 20th century. He was a scholar and activist. He co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.) in 1909. He also attended a school in Nashville, Tennessee called Fisk University. It was there he experienced the Jim Crow laws and began to analyze the problems of American discrimination. William Du Bois philosophy on race was different compared to educator Booker T. Washington(Booker). They did not come to terms with a significant amount of topics, had different ideas on progressivism, yet still were able to merge their ideas to help Blacks gain equal rights.
Booker T. Washington was born on April 5, 1856 and passed away on November 14, 1915. He was a well known educator and civil rights activist. In the year 1895, Booker T. Washington openly set forth his reasoning on race relations in a discourse at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, known as the "Atlanta Exposition Address of 1895." In his dialog, Washington conveyed that African Americans ought to acknowledge the dissatisfaction and social isolation the length of whites permit them financial advancement, instructive open door and equity in the courts. In the North, this started a chance for activism for other African Americans. Activists like W.E.B. Du Bois (who was filling in as a teacher at Atlanta University
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.
There are a few ways that Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois differ in their strivings for racial equality. The reason that these men differ in their views are pretty apparent and go back to the separate arguments that Jane Addams and Elizabeth Cady Stanton produced for women's rights in the 19th century. Jane Addams made some compromises in her push for women's suffrage to make her argument easier to swallow and take a small step towards equality. Stanton puts out her whole argument for total equality which made her argument hard for her generation to accept, but got all the problems on the table.
Booker T. Washington was born a slave and worked as a janitor to get through school. Whereas W.E.B. Du Bois was born in the North and faced very little discrimination, and had an easier time getting into College. They were well educated, and the only difference between them was how they were raised in different environments. Both were on the journey to improve African American’s social and political status in America. However, they had different methods for getting what they wanted. Regardless, they were able to aid in ending discrimination and received equal standing in education, labor, acquiring of land, etc.. If it had only been Du Bois fighting for equality, then he would have achieved the fight for equality sooner. On the contrary, Du Bois only provided one view to how African Americans were being treated; Washington had a friendlier approach. This may be due to his fear of being lynched or placing African Americans in a harsher situation than they already were. Washington seemed more methodical—he was thinking about African Americans having the full rights of the 14th and 15th amendments. At the same, he was also concerned about the consequences of his speech, and if it angered the whites more than it relieved the situation they were all facing. Washington and Du Bois had every intention to improve the social and political status of African Americans, but they sought different plans to achieve such goals due to their different upbringings, values, and opinions.
It is a common belief that after the Civil War had ended, African Americans had become free and became apart of society with the rest of America. However, not only did many slaves not gain freedom until months after the war had ended, but discrimination of African Americans was still heavily prominent in American society. This gave rise to many inspirational African American figures such as Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois that spread their ideals on how to solve the issue.This debate grew rapidly in the early late 1800’s when a man by the name of Booker T. Washington had many ideas for the future of African American rights. His main beliefs involved submission and accommodation of
W.E.B Dubois was a man who believed and fought for a cause that changed and revolutionized how some people see racism today. Before Du bois started his civil rights activism he was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on February 23, 1868, and in 1884 Du Bois graduated as the valedictorian from his high school class. Soon after he graduated from high school he was accepted into Harvard University in 1888 as a junior and was the first African American to earn a PHD from Harvard University. Shortly after he received a bachelor of arts cum laude in 1890. Later in his life Du Bois began to fight vigorously for lesser status foundations and became an advocate for full and equal rights. He is known
Thesis statement: The two great leaders in the black community debating about the issues that face the Negro race and Du Bois gave a compelling argument by using pathos, logos and ethos to create an essay that will appear to all readers.
When it came to views on dealing with African-Americans Booker T. Washington's views were terrific.To begin with, Booker T. Washington wanted his fellow African-Americans to become more efficient at practical skills such as farming, carpentry, and masonry rather than pursuing legal and political means for collective advancement.This example shows that Booker T. Washington wanted his fellow African-Americans to focus on economic equality.Another reason is that Booker T. Washington believed in hard work and vocational education for african-americans.This reason shows that Booker T. Washington wanted the african-americans to work hard and if they did social and political equality will follow after that.Another reason is that W.E.B. Du Bois wanted
The two most important African American Leaders of the early twentieth century were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. Furthermore, these two leaders had different ideas about how African-Americans should fight for their rights. Washington was born a slave who struggled to get an education and after became a school teacher. He founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In fact, a vocational college for African-American. By the time Theodore Roosevelt was the president and other white leaders of the early twenty century supported Washington’s efforts to train African American as farmer, and skilled workers. Booker T. Washington ideology was that African Americans should concentrate on obtaining job skills and career education farming, building
Booker T. Washington is by far one of the brightest and strongest minds from his time. During his Atlanta Exposition address he displays his intellect masterfully. From Mr. Washington’s use of language he was able to seamlessly piece together a speech that we still analyse to this day. Mr. Washington use of rhetoric explains and enlightens the circumstances of freed African Americans trying to fit into communities in the south. From mistreatment and racism still present in the newly freed people.