October 20, 2014

Complete discussion on booker t and move on to bois on theme of strategies of

black empowerment
Explain why booker ts washingtons Atlanta expedition address could be seen as a
Faustian bargain?
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Deal: black quiet politically in exchange of docility in politics no demands

for social equality blacks given opportunity to advance economically

Booker Ts Faustian Bargain

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Faustian Metaphor
Deal at Atlanta exchange for docility in Politics no demands for social
equality economic opportunity

Booker Ts Calculus question answer was based on this

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If a Black man spends ten thousand a year in freight charges he can select
his own seat on a rail-road train.
o Argument that through acquiring economic strength and economic
independence, African Americans can fight segregation
o Repeatedly stress direct reversal of what douglass argue for: political
empowerment was essential to black empowerment
o While washingont one can put aside temporarily of political equality
and concentrate on economic empowerment
Quote from article Atlanta compromise address: no race that has anything to
contribute to the markets of the world is long, in any degree

Booker Ts Strategy- co elements of strategy (did not have enough time for slide
Booker t Washington
William Monroe Trotter (1872-1934)
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Called Washington the Benedict Arnold of the Black Race

o Correct? Disagree or Agree?
o Teachers opinion:
Which historical reference point of his statement:
2 ways:
Look from 1895 when trotter wrote this statement
Or from vantage point of 2014 and looking back on history
Issue of time here is rather important
Historian trying to emphasize when making moral judgements,
consider specific context and moment and dont impose values
from another time in that moment

Ex: in 1880s, if someone walk by someone ill, you dont criticize

that person not good person because you cant dial 911 since
you there was no technology cant judge tech from today to
past
From 1895 trotters steamemt was somewhat courageous
because Washington was very important individual
Washington had dinner with presidents, friends with great
industrialist of the time
And many black leaders was afraid of alienating
Washington since known to have enemy list odnt want
to be on it if Washington didnt like you
From that point of view, trotter is courageous because if
blacks didnt get involved in politics, they wouldnt have
made advance
Going against dominant thinking of the moment
washingtons took courage of trotter and pay the price
by saying this statement
Washington was not pleased when called Arnold tried
to get trotters newspaper to close down
So have to admire the courage of trotter in taking the
orthodoxy of the moment
Whenever you question the majority, you pay the price
Change only happens when you questions dominant idea
o Ex: Rosa parks arrested to change law has
criminal record
View of looking back on historical hindsight from 2014 and look
back in 1895
Cant call him traitor
May question policy but did not detriment the black race
Arnold was intention to betray
Historians behind the scene maneuvering Washington
did trotter would not have known at the time
It occurs to none that silence is tantamount to being virtually an accomplice
in the treasonable act of this Benedict Arnold of the Negro Race (William M.
Trotter, p.191)

Behaving in a Machiavellian way means..written before Italy become a nation

was group of states; in this piece of advice (to the king of Florence?), Machiavelli
argues that morality dont play in politics for faint hearted and weak; advice of
how to gain power and then keep power; justify the means do something immoral
if you have justification in the end; you throw out morality
1. Ends justify the means
2. Morality has no role in politics

Washington called Machiavelli of the south

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Because historians looking at his work have found that while in public he was
talking about no poilical agitation, finger social economic integration, all
politic quiet strategies
Behind the scenes taking some of the money he used from raising money to
?speaking? supported some behing the scene civil right maneuver
1898 behind the scenes raise legal fees Louisianas Grandfather Clause
On one hand in public altanta we be quiet politically, no agitation
But 3 years down the road take money from people of tuskey institute? And
put toward the lousisian clause

Same role in Alabama Covert role in Alabama

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Won in Maryland
Railroad discrimination cases had in invisible backing
railroad discrimination cases had in invisible backing (even to Maryland)
o Many cases against discrimination had washingtons invisible backing
While in public he was arguing that he was not going to challenge political
status quo, accept it hwile in private he was doin something else
Why he called this way
Why trotter would not have known this
AACP may have supported this - - but no concrete evidence of
documentation

Booker Ts Strategy 6
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First four is atlant:

Vocational education
Economic integration and social separation
Accommodationism
Gradualism
Pragmatism economic growth and economic empowerment
Over and above thatimportant to understand and appreciate the following
Machiavellian element/dimension to his strategies
o Do something in public and also try challenge segregation in covert
manner

Legacy (Washingtons)
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Institutions
o Necessity of making these
o In any strategy of empowerment, you have to build these are
important
o Washington exemplify that institutions that last beyond yourself
Working within constraints
o How work with constraints?

May not like the circumstance you are confronting but how deal and
change simultaneously so build institutions with constraints
Bois said lets get rid of it tried like with voting rights but he
frustrated and left America and denounce citizenship
Learn from Washington to take consideration of constraints and
work with them
Relevance of economic power
o Importance of economic power
o Not everything but important
o Washington places emphasis on this
Machiavellian element
o That how do you work within constaint but realize that these need to
erode do aboce surface (overt strategies) and covert things you need
to do to advance course of empowerment
There are flaws fo these strategies but historical hindsight unfair to call him
Arnold
While at that moment, these are 4 important lessons for black empowerment
Quick overview of strategies and ideas of booker t. Washington
o

Now go on to other great icon whose life paralled with Washington: W.E.B. Du Bois
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One of the most well known figure ofpolitical and culture of ?20 th century?

In 1900s, du bois was most well known African American within black community
and outside black community
Today, most well known is beyonce (more than obama) main point the most well
known is not intellectual figure
Most famous African American intellectual figure today? Cornell west
Times has shifted
1900s hands down was du bois but now turned because of popular culture
Any case, bois was a towering figure in black politic, intellecutl, cultural life of early
1900s (and early 1800s)
Bois lives a long time feb 1668 aug 1963 (so nearly 100 years- so 90 plus years
95 years)
Was productive from age 17 to age 95; wrote the evening before he died the
encyclopedia of African
Born 3 years after civil war, live through reconstruction era, period of mass
industrialization, world war 1 and 2, national liberation movements around world
(rid of colonial rule), made relationships with other countries india, china, Africa,

by 1950s become radical and disillusioned and think America not making progress
when America was based on what he made was ahead of his time 1903 what
happens was 1960 (?) we need global solidarity to address societys problems
not just by statesbeyond borders (like ebola crisis not contain require global
response wht bois was talking about need global response to attack racism and
bigotry not perspective of nations stat and borders of the us) but when he started
talking about 1950s was too radical for civil rights movement they were
demonstrating patriotism bois had enough of that since he showed in world war I
Difference of him and political moment leaves America therefore and become
citizen of Ghana and no longer citizen of American
Lives long and engaged life
Wrote 3 autobiographies he like second one dusk of dawn

Du Bois divide 4 components of his legacy

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Harlem renaissance intellectual/cultural

o Langston hughs
o The most artistic movment ?for African americans?
o We dont want to represented by others, we want to do it ourselves
o Bois was very much involved
Civil rights movements
o Architect of civil rights movements
Worker/socialist movements
o 1930s and 1940s he was interested in political movments for
socialism as consequence of Russia socialism?? In 1917
International movements
o Later he was interested in this 1950s and 1960s
o Some very controversial
o Close relationship with mao invited and treated as hero
o And also with first president with Ghana invited and treated well
Why he was able to get citizenship
Connect/highlight importance for black political empowerment according to
him

The life and legacy of W.E.B. Du bois quick summary of life and legacy
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Race and modernity

o Bois writings and cultural work and political activism are indispensible
stuff for race and modern world
o Race play important problematic role in modern world 1960s onward
come across bois ideas

First individual to do systematic study of African-american experience

o In many ways, he was one of the intellectual followers of black study
o Key intellectual figure 1960s black study movement and
institutionalization
o Where he pioneers that there is a need for this
Slave trade
o Doctoral dissertation was on this
o Still regarded as most important work in study of America of this
subject important grad student
o Do phd degree, lucky if people read dissertation before put in library
o Frist African American student in Harvard to get degree
o history
Philadelphia negro
o His book
o Book that launches urban ? studies on..sociology of urban life
Black reconstruction
o Book on reconstruction era
o Regarded as definitive of infor for reconstruction era
o Is foundation of where other works were build
Here describes just intellectual life
Bois become indispensible to understanding black experience in America

Political Movemnts
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Anti-lynching campaign where starts to disagree with washington

o Says lynching and increase of this why use of money when theres no
law to protect you from this and ensure the preprator is locked up
o Initially he didnt want to become along with trotter debate
o Newspaper article commendable Washington had money and wanted
to be on good side
o When he saw violence, he went on trotters side escalating violence
with giving up political is not good!
o Idea does not come to fruition till 1950s legislation for protect black
from violence south
Desegregation struggles
o Dont want to accept status quo for whatever reason
o 1909 NAACP formed
Half century struggle of brown vs education to end
Modern civil rights movement 1950s and 1960s
o Starts of with bois
o He is intellectual founder and political architect of this movement
Anti-colonial movements
o Wanted to integrate global never separate
o Deeply involved in these movements
o Some best friends against british colonial
o 1911 call colonial world for conference in London unity for impacted
by british and French colonilsm get close with president of Ghana
Pan-africanism

o
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Wherever you are, still form political network

Struggle and join forces across borders

Intellectual and political arena important

David Levering Lewis
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Wrote 2 volume Pulitzer prize autobiography on du bois

History department in Rutgers
After wining prize, many universities tried to recruit and seduce Rutgers
tried to keep him with 6 figure salary vs nyu with free apt

Arnold rampersad
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Literal aspects of bois- art and imagination

Part of Rutgers but standford seduced him just retired