During the nineteenth and early twentieth century it was a dark period. It was an era of reconstruction for the African American communities. They were newly oppressed by disfranchisement and the discriminatory Jim Crow laws. Segregation was going on everywhere and there was no equality for blacks. Even through these times of trouble there were two dominant leaders in the African American community. Booker T. Washington was a well- known intellectual who was born an emancipated slave who became a self-made man. One could argue Washington was too practical.
He believed that there was no way in the near term that whites would grant full equality to African-Americans, and therefore he should try to achieve what equality he could. Opposing him was a young W. E. B Du Bois. Du Bois rose to national prominence as one of the co-founders of the NAACP and he was also the leader of the Niagara Movement. DuBois believed that he and all blacks already deserved equality. He also was a socialist who thought that blacks deserved the exact same equality as whites. He wasn’t a pragmatic leader and was very bold in his decisions.
Both Booker T. nd Du Bois had the same final goals of equality for all. However they had opposite ways of thinking. Booker T. Washington’s philosophy was tempered by his belief in accommodation. He believed that if African Americans ignored discrimination and concentrated on their economic future that their political rights would follow. He had no shame in manual labor and the idea of working for someone. W. E. B. DuBois believed that African Americans should not limit themselves to labor but to educate themselves in order to be recognized as full citizens.
He rejected the idea of ccommodation and suggested that only through voting rights African Americans could achieve economic and social equality. His philosophy had a more aggressive edge to it when compared with the philosophy of Booker T. Washington. Du Bois’ militant attitude and aggressive edge makes him better suited to the historical conditions of the time. The main goal of both activist was to change the way that white Americans viewed the African American race. They both wanted justice and equal rights for African Americans and they also wanted African Americans to be well educated.
The primary goal of Du Bois was o prepare African Americans for a new life as a citizen. He wanted them to be used to the employment in their current society. Booker T’s primary goal was to build the African American community’s economic strength and pride by a focus on self-help and schooling. “If anywhere there are efforts tending to curtail the fullest growth of the Negro, let these efforts be turned into stimulating, encouraging, and making him the most useful and intelligent citizen” (Washington). Booker T believed that if they made a society of well-educated African Americans, than they could be used to their full potential.
Whether that be in the agricultural field or being a mechanic at a local factory. Booker Tjust wanted the African Americans to be used to better America. Similar to Booker T, Du Bois also wanted every African American to be well educated. “Fifth, we want our children educated. The school system in the country districts of the South is a disgrace and in few towns and cities are Negro schools what they ought to be” (Du Bois). Du Bois’ language and tone is a lot more directed towards the whites. His malicious tone is what puts him apart from Booker T.
He wants the whites o acknowledge the fact that the blacks are not being educated. That they are not being used to their full potential. He knows that something can and will be done about this issue. Booker T has a nicer tone to his words. This is because his tone is also directed to the white audience. His way of doing things was to try and please both sides, he didn’t want complete equality like Du Bois. When you want something to be done right, you have to give it everything you got. Du Bois had the vision of every African American being treated with the same values as every other white citizen.
He didn’t want to settle for what the whites wanted to give them. He wanted full equality and that’s what he put his mind towards. “Against this the Niagara Movement eternally protests. We will not be satisfied to take one jot or tittle less than our full manhood rights” (Du Bois). During his Niagara Movement speech Du Bois was passionate about his approach to these issues. He knew that one day all true Americans would be able to vote. No matter what skin color you were, you would be able to vote. He had such passion and eager drive to make this happen.
His views were far different from Booker T’s. Booker T never believed that African Americans would have the same rights as all whites. Being a former slave he was happy with the progress he was seeing. He was okay with the few lynching’s, the racism and segregation in everyday life and working for someone else. His views were eye opening to the whites, as they too would go to his speeches and cheer him on. “After his introduction, when I arose to speak, there was considerable cheering in the audience, especially from the section of the room occupied by my own people” (Washington). In his Atlanta Exposition speech he addressed the Negro roblem.
The questions of what to do about the social and economic conditions of blacks and their relationships between the white in the south. This appealed to the white southerners because Washington promised that he would encourage blacks to embrace the manual labor. His views appealed to the white southerners because it would be another form of slavery that only required little pay. Booker T had a bigger audience because his way of thinking appealed to most whites and blacks. He had the image that blacks were not equal to the whites. He didn’t truly want freedom like Du Bois did.
Du Bois knew that one day all people would have the right to vote. That no one would be lynched or be treated differently just because of their skin color. The two activist were antagonist because one had a vision of being equal and the other just wanted to be free. Du Bois was the more appropriate activist for this time period because he knew exactly what he wanted. Unlike Booker T, he was straight forward with his statements. He didn’t care if any white man followed him, he wanted equality for his people. Booker T tried to keep the situation under control by not getting the whites mad.
He played his words out by trying to keep the blacks under the power of the whites. That is not what Du Bois wanted. “Fear to let black men even try to rise lest they become the equals of the white. And this is the land that professes to follow Jesus Christ. The blasphemy of such a course is only matched by its cowardice” (Du Bois). The boldness of this statement really pulls him away from Booker T. Du Bois doesn’t even want to try to gain equality if they cannot be equal to whites. The mindset of Du Bois during this period of time showed other African Americans that they can and will achieve equality.
