Abbey Bliss 10-02-2014 Booker T. Washington & W.E.B. DuBois Not all too long ago, the United States was a land controlled largely by discrimination, segregation, hate, and the need to solve those problems. The land was wrought with confusion on how to handle the issue and many lost their lives in the confusion. Racism against African Americans was nothing new at this point in America, but the people needed someone to lead them and cause change in the nation. The two most recognized leaders of this time were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois. The people turned to them and trusted them with change. However, while they may have some similarities, Booker and Dubois clashed in their beliefs of what could change the nation. While it would seem …show more content…
Washington believed that African Americans should educate themselves in trades so that they can work hard and diligently. He hoped that by this, whites would learn to value the blacks. Washington focused on asking the white people for help instead of equality. He was convinced that blacks would never really be equal in American society. Because of this, he urged the blacks to just accept discrimination for now. He focused on economic equality for blacks. W.E.B. DuBois, however, had clashing ideas, entirely, and was even very public about it. He believed that the blacks shouldn't just sit back and accept discrimination from whites while working hard to prove themselves. DuBois believed that that was just a recipe for further oppression from whites. Instead, he demanded complete equality from the whites. He also believed that African Americans deserved every right to be just as educated as whites and he urged blacks to further their education. DuBois was very radical in his ways and got involved politically. He also helped to found the NAACP and believed that the "Talented Tenth" would save the blacks. DuBois believed that education could get blacks anywhere they wanted to go in