W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were two great leaders of the black community in the late 19th and 20th century. However, they disagreed on strategies for black social and economic progress. Though they disagreed both black men faced the same obstacle of how to end class and racial injustice, and to achieve first-class citizenship for blacks. At this time first-class citizenship was determined by at least three aspects political power, civil rights, and the higher education of blacks.
The Philosophies of 2 Great Men ENGL2304 (UG12) 1 - Intro African and African American Literature 8:00am – 8:50am By: Darnell Varnado Booker T. Washington and Du Bois, both activists of the civil rights movement, presented suitable approaches to attaining resolutions to the discrimination that African Americans went through in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Even though they were both fighting for the empowerment of blacks, they had entirely different methods to obtain that goal. Washington had a steadier tactic as opposed to Du Bois. Du Bois development involved abrupt and complete equality both politically and economically. I believe during this era, Washington overall proposes a productive and more fitting proposition.
How significant was the role of individuals in improving the position of African Americans in society from 1877-1945? To a large extent the role of individuals was significant in improving the position of African Americans in society from 1877-1945. However it has been argued that the organisations and increasing support from the federal government is the reason behind the real change. Although it would have appeared that way, the real change lay behind the individuals, such as A. Phillip Randolph, Du Bois and Marcus Garvey, who established groups to go forth and question the current status quo. Similarly to the first all-black trade community in which Randolph established, due to the fact they knew their voices would not be heard.
Garvey’s significance in reducing racial discrimination in the short term is a debatable question and is highlighted by the rift of historical opinions. Garvey’s ideology and belief in racial pride and black nationalism made him different to other black leaders. This led to immediate support from the black community but also criticism from authorities and other civil rights leaders. On his arrival in 1916 Garvey gained immediate support which coincided with the death of Booker T. Washington. The death of Washington left a space for a new black leader which Garvey intended to fill.
Essay #4 Rough Draft: Booker T. Washington & WEB Du Bois Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois are considered as the two most influential black leaders of all the black American movement history. However, they followed different ideologies concerning how black people should achieve civil rights. Booker T. Washington encouraged the need for African Americans to be able to compete skillfully on an economic basis with the white Southerners, while Du Bois wanted more than that, and exactly focused on encouraging the black Americans to fight for their civil rights rather than just acting passively, as Washington’s philosophy suggested. If a man feels oppressed, and thinks his rights are being held from him, then he should fight by all means possible to win them back, as the following analysis would debate it.
Woodward’s thesis, in essence, is that “the determination of the Negro’s ‘place’ took shape gradually under the influence of economic and political conflicts among divided white people.” (6) and that segregation had not always been an aspect of the history of whites and blacks. Jim Crow laws were ironically birthed in the North. It did not sprung up soon after slavery was abolished. The “Home Rule” was that southern states would self govern after Reconstruction as long as there laws coincided with federal laws. White supremacy, according to Woodward, is the upholding as white as the superior race through systematic oppression.
Although the Supreme Court countered the advancements that were trying to be made through cases such as Plessy vs. Ferguson, and their slack enforcement of the southern states implementation of the Civil Rights Laws; as a whole a strong foundation was set for the development of black civil rights. Firstly the American Civil War helped the development of black civil rights as the external factor prompted government in a great chain of beneficial events that were to follow. It caused congress to pass the 13th amendment, the abolition of slavery which was the first step and was a large one as previous slaves now had freedom. This along the 1866 Civil Rights Act which soon became the 14th amendment gave African Americans legal US citizenship and equal protection under the law. This meant that a black man had just as much say as a white man in a court of law and was protected from prejudice and racial segregation as of the 1875 Civil Rights Act.
They thought of blacks as mules who just need full stomach and will work for you in return. Whites always thought that blacks do not need education. One of the reasons they did not want blacks to get education is so they would not know their rights and therefore fight to use them. Also if blacks gained education they would get better jobs and heighten the status in society. Whites made double standards for blacks.
He believed that slavery helped and in the long run benefitted African Americans. Although the time periods of both of the narratives are significantly different, the authors both noted prejudice and discrimination against African Americans in the description of their experiences. Their different political strategies for securing freedom and recognition influenced how they presented their perspectives on slavery. Douglass’s approach to freedom consisted of the idea of anti-oppression. His strategies involved more resistance than Washington’s approach did.
The NAACP and SCLC welcomed black and white members arguing that the cooperation between the two would make the movement stronger. However the more radical groups felts that black people should work alone. Furthermore, groups in America during this period such as; SNCC and CORE, were both protest groups which aimed at improving working and living conditions for black people, and to make them equal to other races in the USA. These had been quite moderate organisations which were linked to Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. This was the first time that black organisations had really tried to improve conditions in the cities.