Susanna Maisto Blue Group (Period 9 Grossman) Washington/ DuBois Essay Booker T. Washington and W.E.B.

DuBois shared very different views on race in the United States; Washington believed that in order for the nation to accept blacks, then the blacks needed to improve their economic status, whereas DuBois disagreed, and instead thought that blacks needed to have a larger impact in the government. Washingtons ideas were stronger, as they prepared blacks for good jobs and accepted racial differences, instead of opposing them. Booker T. Washington wanted the economic status of African Americans to develop. He believed that blacks didnt need to care about racial discrimination; they only needed to focus on improving their lives. Washington was a strong advocate of educating people through work. He didnt want African Americans to focus on learning through school or strict education; alternatively, he wanted to train them for successful, middle class jobs (PBS, 1). In his book Up from Slavery, an Autobiography, he wrote, Casting your bucket down among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make the waste places in your fields blossom, and run your factories (Washington, 219- 244). At the time, Washingtons ideas were realistic, as instead of opposing the fact that blacks would be discriminated against, he accepted it. He gave blacks realistic goals and didnt get their hopes up. His views did have flaws, though. Small middle class jobs would not completely change the opinions of the majority of the white population, and W.E.B. DuBois said, I did not believe that the skills of an artisan bricklayer, plasterer, or shoemaker, and the good farmer would cause the white South,

Susanna Maisto Blue Group (Period 9 Grossman) grimly busy with disfranchisement and separation, to change the direction of things (McGill, 1). W.E.B. DuBois opposed Washingtons views. He thought that improving the economic status of African Americans would not maintain the abolition of slavery; and that blacks needed to concentrate on political activity. In addition to this, DuBois created the talented tenth, a group of elite scholars. The talented tenth referenced the idea that one in ten African Americans would become political leaders. DuBois strived to achieve black political influence through the establishment of multiple Black colleges and a traditional method of education (PBS, 1). In his autobiography, he wrote, We want our children trained as intelligent human beings should be and we will fight for all time against any proposal to educate black boys and girls simply as servants and underlings, or simply for the use of other people. The have the right to know, to think, to aspire (DuBois, 249- 251). While DuBoiss ideas of a classical education were good, they were not very practical. He tried too hard to fight discrimination, when he needed to accept it and move on. Booker T. Washingtons proposal for race equality is superior to DuBoiss proposal. It is more necessary to improve the economic status of a race than their role in government. One example of this is Asians in todays society. They dont play a very large role in government, but they have a very high economic status. They dont receive very much racial discrimination. African Americans need to improve their overall economic status in order to gain the respect of fellow Americans. Also, Washingtons view on education is stronger. Todays society has a primary focus on labor, so it is

Susanna Maisto Blue Group (Period 9 Grossman) important to get people ready for working. If educators only teach their students by the book, then they will not be prepared for life in the real world. Booker T. Washington was in favor of accepting racial inequality. He preferred preparing African Americans for labor to strictly educating them. Washington W.E.B DuBois did not want to accept racial inequality. He was in favor of a traditional education and a strong black influence in the government. Booker T. Washingtons ideas were more realistic during the time period, as he didnt try to fight racial inequality, was more likely to get African Americans to be respected, and got African Americans ready for labor.

Susanna Maisto Blue Group (Period 9 Grossman) Works Cited Booker T. and W.E.B. PBS Frontline. WGBH Educational Foundation, 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/race/etc/road.html>. DuBois, W.E.B. Autobiography. New York: International Publishing, 1970. Print. McGill, Ralph. W.E.B. DuBois. Atlantic Online. Atlantic Monthly Company, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/flashbks/black/mcgillbh.htm>. Washington, Booker T. Up from Slavery, an Autobiography. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1902. Print.