W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington “I never thought Washington was a bad man. I believed him to be sincere, though wrong” (McGill). W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington had the same goal for the black community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but they both went about it in different ways.
Washington is wise because of his experiences and is well aware that even the whites Exposition organizers and attendees that largely support him have fears and reservations about how much opportunity they truly want his fellow black Americans to have. He knows that the white leaders feel threatened by the possibility of blacks achieving economic success and expecting to be equal and fully integrated with whites. Washington soothes these fears by saying that “in all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress”. Booker T. Washington understood that great progress requires great patience, and his choice of language in this speech is
Thesis statement: The two great leaders in the black community debating about the issues that face the Negro race and Du Bois gave a compelling argument by using pathos, logos and ethos to create an essay that will appear to all readers. Outline: This essay will showcase the contradicting philosophies between W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Also, paying close attention to the different types of leadership between the two historic leaders in the black community. Both W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington contributed to and helped shape the future of African Americans.
After looking at both Booker T. Washington and W.E. B. Dubois, I feel that Booker T. Washington had the best solution and best route for his solution for the black community. He was raised a salve and new first hard the lifestyle a majority of the blacks were coming from. He knew the frustrations that they had and knew how to deal with the situations. He was extremely educated just like W. E. B. Dubois, and he understand that change would take time. He knew that many whites would not change their opinions over night and that it would take a long time to get what all black deserved.
Booker T. Washington believed that in order to eventually achieve racial equality African
Booker T. Washington and Others” Dubois uses a great deal of rhetorical strategies. His most used rhetorical strategy was ethos or ethical. This makes him a trustworthy and credible source, giving him the stronger argument. Dubois starts off his essay by stating that Booker T. Washington’s ideas of acquiring new skills and staying silent as a form of gaining equal rights was not an original idea. He emphasizes that, “His programme of industrial education, conciliation of the South, and submission and silence as to civil and political rights, was not wholly original; the Free Negroes from 1830 up to wartime had striven to build industrial schools, and the American Missionary Association had from the first taught various trades; and Price and others had sought a way of honorable alliance with the best of the Southerners.”
1. What does Du Bois mean by the “double consciousness” of African Americans? What Du Bois meant by the “double consciousness” of African Americans is that they look at themselves through the eyes of others. “This double consciousness, this sense of always looking at oneself through the eyes of others, of measuring one soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity” African Americans know that the rest of America see them as a lowly and controversial group of people because they were once viewed as a piece of property and not a human being. Now that they are freedmen, America doesn’t know what to think about them.
This altered approach was a result of these leaders seeing what past leaders had done, and the results or effects that had come from their work. Additionally, the 1890s - 1920s leaders had already done some work towards changing people’s minds towards giving rights to Black people. In the first movements, such as those of DuBois and Washington, civil rights was a relatively new topic for the American public. These two men introduced the movement and started a foundation for which other movements would be able to work upon. Earl Thorpe wrote in his autobiography, “The Booker Washington philosophy and program were the first positive ones that the masses of Negroes in America ever had,” (Doc C).
Booker T. Washington was a man of action. A great orator, he could galvanize people to his cause. He believed in fighting, and hopefully, winning. For reforming the South, he saw a long-range plan for educating African Americans for responsible citizenship and complete integration into the American way of life. He established a school for the education of African Americans.
In an era where African Americans were caught in the middle of an awkward transition between slavery and unrestricted freedom, few voices could rise above the noise to lead Blacks to a better future. Booker T. Washington, a former slave himself, found that voice. Approaching contemporary issues through a realistic lens, Washington saw Black empowerment in the world of industry rather than in the world of politics. He saw solutions in brotherhood among diverse cultures, a necessity for a nation torn apart by extreme polarization, and understood the importance of training the first generations of free blacks for the workforce. In this sense, Washington established himself as a true visionary.
Booker T.’s philosophy consisted of economic independence, self-reliance, and higher education for African Americans. Booker T. largely believed that economic empowerment is what was needed for African Americans to be able to advance in many fields. This quote shows what was important to Booker T. and what he believed was key to uplift the African American community, not just financially, but as well as mentally. Washington believed that economic empowerment was essential for racial uplift and advocated for African Americans to focus on practical skills and entrepreneurship to advance within the existing social structure. His Tuskegee Institute became a model for vocational education, training African Americans in trades and agriculture.
Booker T. Washington is by far one of the brightest and strongest minds from his time. During his Atlanta Exposition address he displays his intellect masterfully. From Mr. Washington’s use of language he was able to seamlessly piece together a speech that we still analyse to this day. Mr. Washington use of rhetoric explains and enlightens the circumstances of freed African Americans trying to fit into communities in the south. From mistreatment and racism still present in the newly freed people.
Du Bois wanted to show people what it was to African American in America. Du Bois belive that African Americans was held back from achieving equality. Du Bois’s double consciousness was about always looking at oneself through the eyes of others. Du Bois claimed that African Americans struggle with multi-faceted conception of self “a double consciousness”. In this
(Wikipedia 2017) In addition to creating the influential piece, The Philadelphia Negro, he also introduced several concepts, two of the most popular being The Veil and previously mentioned Double-Consciousness. The Veil is an imaginary barrier that makes white people unable to see black people as individuals on their caliber. " Du Bois argues that the Veil prevents white people from seeing black people as Americans, and from treating them as fully human. At the same time, the Veil in turn prevents black people from seeing themselves as they really are, outside of the negative vision of blackness created by racism."
The Irony of “Born in the U.S.A.” As the fireworks explode in the night sky to celebrate Independence Day, “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen plays loudly for the audience to hear. As the men, women, and children bellow out the chorus proudly, they never seem to grasp its intended meaning. By studying the appeals and irony used in Springsteen’s lyrics, it is easy to see how Springsteen’s message of the poor treatment of Vietnam War veterans is misconstrued by millions of listeners into American pride. Springsteen’s intended audience is a group made up of mainly white, blue collar Americans-
