Joanne Lu, Green Group WEB Dubois and Booker T. Washington Essay W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T.

Washington were both great African American advocates of the late 1800s to the early 1900s. However, they had contrasting views on the social and economic progress of African Americans. Strategies, impediments, and the government role in racial equality, were controversial subjects of that time and were the main subjects of argument between W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington as well. The strategy Booker T. Washington suggested to overcome racial prejudice was for African Americans to succeed economically. Washington advised African Americans to accept racism for the time being and instead concentrate on elevating their education in farming and industrial skills. At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence, according to Washington. On the other hand, W.E.B. Dubois urged African Americans to strive for political and social equality. He advocated liberal arts education and the advanced knowledge of the world. He believed that African Americans had, ...no right to sit silently by while the inevitable seeds are sown for a harvest of disaster to our children, black and white." Unlike Washington, Dubois couldnt accept discrimination. However, Washingtons belief is laudable in the fact that his idea is more realistic than Dubois. Washington understood the fact that it would be more difficult to fight prejudice so instead, he accepted it. There were many impediments in the quest for racial equality. Despite the controversy between Washington and Dubois, both has similar beliefs on this aspect. They each thought that African Americans werent skillful enough for whites to recognize them. Consequentially, their strategies for overcoming racial inequalities both reflected raising the bar on useful skills. However, their understandings on useful skills varied. Washington advocated the practice of economic independability. He urged African Americans to make themselves beneficial to society so they could be integrated with whites on social status. Based on Washington, this would

...win the respect of whites and lead to African Americans being fully accepted as citizens and integrated into all strata of society. However, Dubois recommended that African Americans should focus on excelling in political and social equality instead of economic equality. He believed that only when African Americans were intellectually sound, would whites accept them. According to Dubois, African Americans had to develop intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to it. Despite Washingtons and Dubois similar views on impediments for racial equality, their understandings differed. The role of government was yet another controversial issue between Washington and Dubois. Washington believed that the government was the overpowering dominance that controlled the aspects of society. According to Washington, African Americans couldnt fight against the government which supported his philosophy that they should accept racial equality and instead prove themselves through labor. On the other hand, Dubois resented the government in the fact that they did little to help the situation of African Americans. He mockingly compared Washingtons belief to the Atlanta Compromise which stated that African Americans were required to stand down to whites. Based on this, Dubois rejected the fact that the government did little to support African Americans. In conclusion, the two greatest African Americans of the time, W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington had strikingly different views on racial equality. Despite the unrealisticness of Dubois belief that African Americans could fight and win against discrimination, both beliefs were uplifting and gave African Americans hope to continue in their quest for equality. W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington put two ideas on the table that shaped the history for African Americans.