Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were two of the strongest leaders of the black community and had very different strategies of dealing with the problems blacks faced during this time period. Booker T. Washington’s strategy for dealing with discrimination was one of self help and education. He believed that the best way of equality is earning it. If they started to rebel against the discrimination, it would only make the whites more determined to keep them oppressed.
Inevitably this discrimination also involved much more than just indifference of colour, blacks experienced poor working conditions violent retaliation and even lynching if the status quo of white supremacy was to be challenged. In search of better conditions, four leading African-Americans offered some solution’s to deal with the situation. Booker T. Washington, du bois, Marcus Garvey and Phillip Randall all contributed to giving the black community a voice in America. There different roles will be compared contrasted and assessed in their part to play in overcoming these challenges. Firstly Booker T. Washington, he was a Black educator who focused on practical education which would lead to black social advancement.
Lee wrote was a letter to his wife about slavery in 1856. In this letter Lee talks about how “The blacks are immeasurable better off here than in Africa, morally, socially and physically.” By saying this Lee shows his willingness to accept the African American society into the southern white society. Lee isn’t necessary an anti-slavery activist but he isn’t a pro-slavery supporter either. Robert E. Lee once stated that he saw slavery as necessary but not proper. Lee concluded that slavery would help both white and black races grow equally.
Booker T Washington believed education was the key. Washington called for patience, accommodation, and self-help. He played down political rights and emphasised vocational education as the best way for African Americans to advance. The defeat of south brought great changes for African Americans as slavery ended in 1865 and civil right act of 1866 meant Black people finally had rights. One of the changes that can be linked to Washington’s approach of accommodation is 15th amendment which states that voting could not be denied to a person just because of there race.
Brea Perine-Winn HY 136-105 September 14,2012 Clashing Views: Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B Dubois Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois were two of the most important leaders during the early 20th century. Although they came from two completely different stories, they both strongly believed that African Americans should try to better themselves with an education and receive equality like everyone else. Some people tend to fail and acknowledge the fact how dedicated and driven these two individuals where about changing others lives’ and left and huge impact during the early 20th century. Booker T. Washington was born on April 5,1856 in Virginia to an enslaved African-American mother and an unknown White father.1 Being the son of a slave, Washington was automatically born a slave himself too. Washington’s unknown father is known to be a farmer of a nearby plantation where Washington’s mother might have worked at as the cook.
Booker T. Washington, the most influential black leader of his time, preached a philosophy on self-help, racial solidarity and accommodation. He urged blacks to accept discrimination for the time being and concentrate on elevating themselves through hard work and material prosperity. He believed in education in the crafts, industrial and farming skills and the cultivation
Civil Rights Essay The African-American Civil Rights Movement was a movement to end segregation and racial inequality for African Americans and to allow them the right to vote. It took place in the 1950’s and 60’s, but movements for racial equality are still going on today. Especially after World War II, African Americans that served in the war believed that if they were risking their life for their country, then they should be able to enjoy the same freedoms as any other man. During this time period, African-Americans took great measures and sacrifices to insure that they were treated equally within American society. The African-American Civil Rights Movement became the greatest movement in history to provide racial equality, and ensure African Americans justice in the prejudice society in which they live.
He was simply another unfortunate victim of the institution which the Nation unhappily had engrafted upon it at that time.” - Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery (Chapter 1) In 1901, Booker T. Washington published his autobiography, Up From Slavery. Born into slavery, after emancipation, Washington developed a philosophy that African-Americans needed to sweep away the ignorance that their subservient position had left them with, and earn the respect of the Whites through hard work and excellence. In 1881, he founded the Tuskegee Institute to teach African-Americans exactly how to study, how to work hard and intelligently (in order to produce better results than the White businesses of the day), and how to have respect for themselves and others, regardless of
‘Key individuals rather than organised campaigns were the real force for change in the achievement of equal rights for Americans’ Social inequality segregation and racism has held a heavy burden over African Americans in the history of United States. Being treated as a second class of human beings was something that the coloured people of America had to live with. Powerful individuals pushing for the triumph of equivalent rights for all Americans were the courage and determination behind the ongoing fight against the violent injustice that the white people of America cruelly imposing upon the Black society. The act of civil rights in 1964 was the transformation that the colored people of America had hoped for. The Americans were finally free from the gruelling oppression
WHY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH IMPORTANT When it comes to history the first thing you hear your classmates say, is”Not history again.” But what they don’t know and understand is that in order to became a better person you must not make the mistakes of the past generations, but learn from their mistakes and also do thing that have helped other people in the past to became better people. One such example is the slavery of Black African people that were brought in Africa and sold in America, were they worked on big cotton plantations under marginal living conditions. Although they were treated badly, underpaid and exploited they still stayed positive that they would one day return to Africa, the Lord of their ancestors. That day never come, instead the slaves mostly became Christians and started to live like their owners and today most African-American people you see are descendants of slaves.