Washington preferred a gradual incline of black involvement and acceptance, whereas DuBois preferred immediate direct action. DuBois tried to get African Americans to be involved in politics for this would be the only way their freedoms would be maintained and that could gain influence in society. Carter Woodson states that without political involvement, they would “lose ground in the basic things of life,” (Doc I). DuBois says that the original democratic system does not exist anymore; a caste system replaced it with the white men on top, who try to diminish the civil liberties of those below them, the blacks (Doc F). Dubois’s solution is that African Americans must constantly fight and argue for what they desire in order to ever gain their rights (Doc E).
Washington sought to raise the bar in the Black community's education. Even so, he was not for Blacks learning the same things as the White folk. Instead he sought to "keep Blacks in their "place" and educate them to be more efficient laborers." (102) This relieved the Whites from their fears and had no problem allowing this kind of education of Blacks to continue. They realized that Blacks would not be a threat to the white society and their ways of life.
Washington’s views on "racial progress" were that offered black acquiescence in disenfranchisement and social segregation if whites would back the idea of black progress in education, agriculture, and economics. Agriculture to Washington was one of the soul ideas of his "racial progress" theory. Washington argued that the focus of African-Americans should be education on a trade so that they could be taught the skills they needed to be able to open up their own businesses. That would lead to African-Americans to create jobs for other African-Americans. Washington felt blacks shouldn’t worry about winning civil rights, but rather have some kind of economic stability first.
He told blacks to concentrate on education and financial progress as well as keeping close community ties. This way, in time, the black community would be full of doctors, lawyers, architects, teachers, businessmen and other professionals. The black community would evolve out of its poverty into something that could no longer be looked down upon. In the meantime, blacks should avoid politics and confrontations. Because of this, many thought of him as sell out.
DBQ – WASHINGTON VS DUBOIS Booker T Washington and W.E.B DuBois offered different strategies for dealing with the problems of poverty and discrimination faced by black Americans at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Although both men hoped to eventually achieve the same goals – social, political and economic equality for blacks – their proposed methods of achieving these aims were almost contradictory. Both helped blacks to make some strides, but perhaps the times called for a more united stand. Washington’s basic philosophy was to work within the system, and gain economic strength. He urged blacks to first achieve economic power through education in industrial areas, believing that with economic equality came the power to bring social and political freedoms as well.
The second key was interracial harmony. In the Atlanta Compromise of 1895 he mentions that he believed blacks should gain wealth and prove to whites that they are deserving of equality and respect. Washington gave a basic approach to uplifting the race; along with industrial education, he thought that getting jobs for blacks could help uplifting the race. Du Bois did not experience much racism as he grew up. He was a talented intellectual who finished high school at the age of sixteen and studied at Fisk.
In the end, one plan is always going to be better when put into action, and in this case I believe that W.E.B. Dubois had the better plan. Both of these men set out to fix poverty and discrimination against blacks in America, but their strategies were radically different. Booker T. Washington felt that the only way to become equals in an unequal society is for blacks to work hard and become something. His idea was that if enough blacks were to become doctors, lawyers, businessman, and become successful in general that they could not be considered anything other than equal.
He wanted it to be known that black people had huge dreams and would stop at nothing to achieve them. The first reason Martin Luther King’s philosophy was more likely to produce equality for African Americans is because his philosophy focused on nonviolence and believed that through Boycotting, the blacks can and will get equality. Martin Luther King gave african americans a sense of hope and something to strive forward for the future. In Document "We should use boycott as a weapon of change in our nonviolent arsenal, as well as marching." Marin Luther King argued that african americans would not use violence as a method of equality.
Me: Mr. Atticus, how did you stand up to the pressure of defending a black man when the town was against that action? Atticus: I stood up for what I believed in and yes it was intimidating but this town has to understand that we are all human beings. Men are created equal, black people do the exact same things as we do but we choose to find the littlest indifferences and judge them. What if it was the other way around and we white people were treated to same way as we treat black people? We need to change our way of thinking and how we presume others.
Equality Opportunity’ in that the burdens of racism can only be overcome by taking race into account. Affirmative action also aims to reflect the racial diversity of the nation, the ‘Equality of Results’, within schools, the firm and the workplace. Despite being mainly supported by Democrats, and rejected by Republicans President Nixon played a significant role in affirmative action by instituting ‘set aside’ policies to reserve a certain percentage for minorities. The main advantage of affirmative action is that is leads to a greater diversity in societies main institutions, arguably this would not be achieved had things been left as they were. It is also argued on the basis of righting those previously wronged, by opening areas of education and employment that would not have previously been available to minorities.