Similarities Between Booker T. Washington And W. E. B. Du Bois

The late 19th century African Americans in the New South are outraged at the event of an armed gang of white Democrats invading wilmington and killing between 6 and 100 African Americans. African Americans now have options on how to handle this race related issue. One of the two options that practically split African Americans into two groups was the idea of working for the progression of African Americans through the system, which was the stance taken by Booker T. Washington.The other option was the Idea of fighting the system by changing the law, which was the stance taken by W.E.B. Du Bois. By the early 20th century Booker T. Washington and W.E.B.Du Bois were the two most influential African American men in the country. Both of these well

Washington was born into slavery with a slave mother and a white father. Washington worked in a salt mine and as a domestic for a white family and eventually attended the Hampton Institute, one of the first all-black schools in America. Washington’s early life and education undoubtedly had a monumental impact on his views and ways of thinking. Washington believed that African Americans needed education,job skills,and an economic base more than an immediate end to segregation. Washington believed that economic independence and the ability to show that African Americans are a productive part of society it would lead to equality. Du Bois openly criticized this way of thinking when he stated “I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters it is to make carpenters men”. Washington preached a philosophy of self-help he believed that through the system African Americans could gain true equality. He urged African Americans to accept discrimination and focus on elevating through hard work to obtain advancement in America. Washington's approach is seen as a non-confrontational one,which is a direct difference to the approach of Du Bois’. Due to Washington's conciliatory approach to the advancement of African Americans in America shows how Washington and Du Bois differed

Du Bois saw first hand how African Americans and White Americans could live together equally. However in 1885 he attended Fisk University in Tennessee, he encountered for the first time bigotry and repression of the Jim Crow South and that had a great impact on his views and thinking. Du Bois believed that education and civil rights were the only way to equality. Du Bois also believed that conceding their pursuit would only reinforce African Americans as second class. This view directly disagrees with Washington's philosophy of conceding and accepting discrimination. After a series of articles written by both Washington and Du Bois their difference came to a head after Du Bois directly criticized Washington and his approach in his book “The Souls of Black Folks”, he then went on to demand full civil rights for African Americans. Du Bois also believed in liberal arts education to create “talented tenth” of African Americans that could challenge segregation in court. Believing that political action and agitation were the only way to achieve equality Du Bois and other African American intellectuals founded a “radical” political group called Niagara, which later went on to become the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or the (NAACP). Due to Du Bois’ confrontational approach to the advancement of African Americans