Washington’s and Dubois’ Views on Black Advancement Movement

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Views on Black Advancement Movement
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois were both prominent leaders of the black community. Despite this unifying trait, their views and goals regarding black people’s advancement in society were significantly different. This essay is created in a historical context, which allows to reflect and evaluate both strategies from the positions when the discussed individuals’ strives are more or less achieved. There are many strong differences between the two ideologies, the main being that Washington advocated for winning equality through obtaining the respect of white people while W.E.B. Dubois believed in protest. The reason for the varying approaches of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois lies in their history, more specifically, their upbringing and background.

The Views on Black Advancement Movement

The Core of the Dispute

When pondering the exact reasons behind this vast difference in approaches to the subject of black advancement, it is important to consider the individuals’ backgrounds. Booker T. Washington was born in slavery in Virginia, and after the Civil War, he was able to find work in a mine and as help for a white family. Later, he could attend the Hampton Institute, which was one of the first educational institutions in America that had only black people attending. After the school, he began teaching and later was chosen as the head of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. The main goals of this establishment were to give young black people a sense of moral code and skills that would help them in the developing industrial revolution. While sharing certain similarities, the background of Dubois differs from Washington’s.

W.E.B. Dubois was born free, and his community in Massachusetts was relatively integrated. In his early life, he was a successful student, going as far as becoming the valedictorian of his class. However, at Fisk University in Tennessee, Dubois was confronted with open bigotry and racism, which left a severe mark on his perception of the world. He returned to the north and continued his education with the goal of expanding the rights of black people. He was the first black man to obtain a Ph.D. from Harvard University. His dissertation was dedicated to the subject of slavery and oppression.

The Arguments

The philosophy of Washington was based on ideas of self-help, accommodation, and solidarity among black people. He believed that it was necessary for black people to wait until they were recognized as acceptable members of society. To achieve this recognition, they needed to be hard-working, educated, and morally developed. His ideas were widely popular, but were met with criticism from many black advocates, one of whom was Dubois.

Dubois’ ideology was rooted in agitation, resistance, and independence of the black spirit. He supported the idea that black people should embrace their heritage, and he could not leave Washington’s notions uncontested. In his essay, The Souls of Black Folk, he writes with disdain that Washington’s agenda is to gain sympathy and cooperation from the white south. In addition, he points out that Washington’s actions were misinterpreted by the south, as they saw it as a surrender of the black advancement movement (Dubois). Seeing these arguments from the historic perceptive, it is evident that both Dubois’ and Washington’s ideologies were correct to a certain extent. However, the current socio-political climate shows that the way of open resistance oftentimes is the only way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the differences in ideologies are a matter that could be traced to the leaders’ upbringings and backgrounds. Dubois was born a free man and detested the idea of oppression. Washington believed that freedom and equality needed to be earned. The main difference between Washington and Dubois was that Washington approached the subject from the standpoint of accommodating the white oppressors, while Dubois chose to resist them.

Work Cited

Dubois, William. (2021). The Souls of Black Folk.Gutenberg, 2021. Web.

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Washington’s and Dubois’ Views on Black Advancement Movement

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