Roosevelt and Wilson’s Attitudes and Ideologies Towards Blacks

It is with no doubt that Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt are amongst the greatest presidents of America. I feel that both presidents were equally important to blacks in what they said, pursued and did. In different ways, both contributed a lot to make the country what it is today.  They had their own beliefs on ways to make reforms, empower the people and strategic ways to accomplish foreign policies. Holding the position of the president both had the objective to serve the American people in the best ways they felt Americans deserved. They symbolized the hope and desires of American people during a crucial time in the United States history. They expressed their opinions on corruptions and the roles that could be assumed by the government control over businesses. (Weiss & Nancy, 1983) Only a few of the American presidents have been exceedingly distrusted and misunderstood by the people and their opponents than Mr. Woodrow Wilson and Mr. Roosevelt. For apparent similar reasons, the two have distrusted and misinterpreted by the American society by their way of administration. In part of their reforms they aspired to transform the chair of the presidency into a representative agency which would enable changes in which they had proposed, and as a result of this act in office, both contributed immensely to the increase of the president’s powers. On the other hand, their opponents accused them of arbitrary personal government and an unhealthy desire to have a popular favor. None the less they exercised their power as president on transformation and enabling a better working environment to American national life. At the beginning of his career, Mr. Wilson was racist. As he was president of Princeton University he would deny the entry of black students to the university and after gaining presidency he, later on, segregated the federal workers in Washington D.C. At the peace conference in Paris, He also prohibited the Japanese proposal to include racial equality as a principle in the League of Nations. For this reasons, early of his work supporters such as Du bois disagreed with him but later he formed the Democratic Party that would protect people against unseen consequences of capitalism that was positive for blacks an ideology earlier initiated by Roosevelt. There is no usually actual connection between the two progressive presidents in their work as Mr. Woodrow would often underestimate his debt to the accomplishments of Mr. Roosevelt as Mr. Roosevelt came out as the most outspoken of Mr. Wilson antagonists. However, both these men were similar in that they radically applied progressive practices to solve different problems. Both of Mr. Roosevelt administrations address domestic affairs. His initiatives and skills as an agitator vowed to incorporate public opinions on the act of democratizing the political stature and socializing the economic system existing in the country. After he left office, he was replaced by a Republican president and he expected his successor, Mr. Taft, to carry on with his work. Unfortunately, his works couldn’t proceed due to powerful reactionary impacts in his own party. The work was neglected until Mr. Woodrow came to power and was backed by the Democratic Party which was more united (Blum & John, 1980) As a Democratic president, he was opportunistic the in four years and he incorporated progressive concerns into the economic system of the country, this even exceeding what his predecessor has accomplished in twelve years. In this order, Mr. Wilson’s work was a clear continuation of Mr. Roosevelt initiatives and by tactical and skillful use of the presidential power sustained by popular public opinion, Mr. Woodrow legislated the link between progressive economic policies and the national unity.

Mr. Woodrow Wilson’s ideas on foreign policy

Mr. Wilson confronted in places such as Mexico and Europe with issues of foreign policy. His given situation was different as per these situations. As the head of the nation and the diplomatic affairs, he held more initiatives and assumed a great measure of preference while he was tackling them than he was doing with the domestic issues. In the practice of this preference, he was disadvantaged by his setbacks, those of his democratic party and the opposing public opinion’s nature. Similar to the domestic issues in the nation, issues of industrialism demolished the equilibrium that existed between the customary, social and the legal system that then emphasized on reforming of the country’s unity on the basis of a sensible democracy, and hence in connection to other foreign countries, similar adjustments had been done and a gap existed for developing a more accountable and representative foreign policy.  The association to Mexico incorporated a critical form that had all the controversial problems concerning the foreign relations of the country’s democracy put a crossed. The association with the happening European war resulted into the questioning of the nation’s neutrality on the basis of isolation that resulted to indifferences with European internationals concerns or informal interest with them. Mr. Wilson hadn’t enough experience in accordance with these problems, the party was also ignorant of these and the general public too hadn’t been amused with these ideologies. As the president, he regularly forced to make choices that committed the country to specific costly line of actions in the foreign affairs despite the fact that he was ignorant to the public opinions. Despite the mistakes done by Mr. Wilson that his party deservedly criticized particularly by Mr. Roosevelt, his initiatives can be summarized as attempts to incorporate a national foreign policy with accordance to the progressive representative concerns which were formerly utilized by Mr. Roosevelt to the domestic issues. By his refusal, not to back up interests of American concessionaires at any cost, he has applied to business ventures in foreign nation’s elements which Mr. Roosevelt would apply to domestic ventures. He let not the government support any business ventures under suspicion. In his act on the Mexicans, he was exceedingly influenced by a component that is expected to be used by every progressive and in spite of the helpless anarchy of the Mexican revolution; it was an important rebellion against economic and political suppression. Conclusively in the handling of these problems, Mr. Wilson be held one key aspect of the progressive principle which Mr. Roosevelt seemed to ignore. His detractors should never forget the fact of great importance that which is the president’s massive enterprise of preference in shaping foreign policy, but its range only heightens the necessity of surety of attributed popular support.

Mr. W.E.B Du Bois’ political ideologies

W.E.B Du Bois is regarded an important thinker, poet, historian sociologist and a social critic. He contributed much in philosophy and to an extent a great social leader. He made remarkable efforts towards a specific goal which was the equality to the people of color. He worked towards eliminating the white privileges that exist in the service of a greater humanity. Later on in his life, Du bois believed as communism to the means of achieving equality. He opted for a communist society that would promote the well-being of all its members. Du bois realized that the economic state of the African Americans was among their primary ways of them being oppressed and that adopting a communist society with impartial distribution of wealth was the mitigation to the concern. (Du Bois & William, 2014) Du bois focused much energy on the socioeconomic analysis of the African- American concerns. He believed in a proper understanding of the situation might help in racism elimination. For instance, if all people understood what the people of color were going through, they would appreciate them better and would collectively work to their liberation. In 1903, du bois published the most important of his work called The Souls of Black Folks that pointed the direction of his new thinking line. What is unique about this particular work is how culturally he passionately speaks out the spirit of African Americans. He put emphasis on their humanity and strengths despite the odd time of worst oppression. He furthermore challenged the most African American intellectual, Washington Booker T, to relay the notion that industrial education alone would lead to equality. Du bois’ political ideologies are clearly brought out in the writing of Souls of Black Folks. His main aim was to relay the spirit of black people in the United States by illustrating the plight that has challenged their humanity. Du bois state that the assumed color lines divide the people in the country, posing great harm to its inhabitants and ruining its aspiration to democracy. He claims that African Americans perceive themselves as both aliens and themselves, with own lawful feelings and traditions. He referred this dual self-prospect as double consciousness. In du bois’ understanding, human beings are capable of splitting at the same time have the ability to grow back together forming a true better bond, thus why du bois hold on to the idea of a more genuine person. Du bois ideologies are that African Americans are gifted with a literary a distinctive high-priced identity but these concerns hinder full exploitation of this identity. Du bois calls for allowance of the African Americans to participate in American culture, as America could much benefit in the inclusion of its all genuine members. By saying this, he does neither intend to abolish the White nor the Negro American culture but wishes to fuse the two cultures into one element. (Notter & Harley, 1965) Du bois then had the concept of second sight and the privileged prospect of minorities. By this he foresees the Standpoint theory that argues that minorities are best in a position to gain knowledge about the world more than the other members of the dominant cultures. Later in life Du bois came to a conclusion and turned to communism. This referred to a manner of life in which the creation of wealth and efforts purposed for enhancing a state whose preference is attaining the best possible quality fortune of its people rather than just the profit of a segment. He further added insights on the communism traditions claiming that communism had no particular straight forward means of rescuing Africans or African Americans but it would center attention and efforts toward this point.

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