An Impact of W.E.B Du Bois

After the civil war was a time full of discrimination and hate and there were 2 leaders willing to take part in making a change in society due to that. Booker Taliaferro Washington a black leader and former educator who was born into slavery who eventually became one of the most powerful people in African American culture. William Edward Burkhardt Du Bois also known as W.E.B Du Bois was also a famous African American known to be also a teacher, writer and sociologist. He had grown up in the north and was mostly surrounded by whites not having to experience things that one born in the south would have to. Though they both were African Americans with much knowledge, they had two different ideas and approaches. They were known to be rivals from the late 1800s until 1915 when Washington died.

One of the things that Booker T Washington supported was racial uplift. By racial uplift Washington meant self-help referring that blacks should accept discrimination and work on bettering themselves as African Americans. He wanted to offer racial segregation if whites would agree with his idea concerning the progression of education, agriculture, and economics for us.  He made these alliances with southern planters, and businessmen against poor classes and white people. He therefor wanted for black people to receive education that would allow them to fit for employment from the Atlanta compromise. Washington felt that Blacks should stop fighting for voting and civil rights in exchange for economic gains, security and reduced anti-black violence.

Though they respected each other WEB Dubois disagreed with his proposals. DuBois believe in what he called the "the talented tenth" of the black population who, through their intellectual accomplishments, would rise up to lead the black masses. They mainly disagreed on the different ways for economic and social progress.  He felt that allowing racial segregation would not make any change to our civil rights. Dubois's approach was that African-Americans needed to demand their freedom and fight for it in other words he felt that protesting was something African Americans needed to do. Dubois was a very firm believer in liberal arts education while Washington did not. He strongly believed that education would change the social status of us.  To me he was the man that too the hard way out no matter the consequences.

Though their philosophies took 2 different directions, they still came in agreement on certain things. Both leaders felt that society was where it needed to be and they definitely wanted to change that. They both also felt that education was Key. Due to the fact that they were both smart and educators both blacks and whites needed to be getting their education one way or another. Even if that meant that they were joined together they deserved the same education.  They also both worked against racial violence and the act of lynching. They also both wanted for blacks to be financially stable and to work for what they deserved. They overall both had the same goal for the black society and that was equality.

 

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