The concept and discourse surrounding the battle for racial uplift has remained a pillar of Black activism and intellectual debates for over a century. While there have been a multitude of individuals involved in the struggle for racial uplift whose names never made it into the history books, there have also been a small number of individuals for whom history did capture. Two of the most famous members of the racial uplift battle were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. While both Washington and Dubois made it of paramount importance to improve the lives of Black people living in American society, they disagreed on the methodologies for how this racial uplift should be implemented. Through a comparative analysis of Booker T. Washington’s and W.E.B. Du Bois's theories on racial uplift, this paper contends that while both Du Bois and Washington highlight the importance of the power of individual agency, they differ markedly to the degree in which they emphasize multiple social institutions and the power of the social institutions to drive positive change in American Society. At the dawn of the 20th century, the Black …show more content…
Du Bois and Booker T. Washington is a reflection of the richness of thought and complexity of the struggle of Racial Uplift in America. The contrasting perspectives of Du Bois and Washington reveal the myriad ways in which communities and individuals can engage with the pursuit of progress, highlighting the significance of both social institution and personal agency in shaping the arc of history. The intellectual contributions of Washington and Du Bois continue to resonate, inspiring generations to confront the challenges of racial inequity and injustice with courage, wisdom, and a deep commitment to the collective good. In their profound insights, we are reminded that the pursuit of racial uplift is an ever evolving tapestry of efforts, interwoven with the dreams, aspirations, and resilience of the human