Comparison Of The Ideas Of Booker T Washington And W.E.B. Dubois
Booker T Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were two very prominent speaker/writers in to aid blacks in attaining their freedom and further expand their civil liberties. These two had ideals that would impact the mindsets of the African-American community and whites collectively. Both authors have stories and anecdotes of personal struggles to epitomize the plights of slavery. Readers both exposed the ideologies of emancipation from slavery. The two authors integrate the aspects of labor, culture, and citizenship in order to stratify the African American’s role and place in U.S. culture and society. It was their beliefs and writings that paved the way for the civil rights movement. Most interestingly, these two authors both had the proper ideas but varied slightly to be put at odds.
In Dubois’s ‘Souls of Black Folk’, we consistently hear about the veil which I can only interpret as a lack of guidance, an impeding obstacle or view points, or ignorance that slaves had about the deep meaning of their current situation. This veil separated black and white populations and that only the black population (the 'Negro') existed within the veil. DuBois tells us that it as long as the concept of the ‘negro’ was alive, so was the veil. In his book, he shows us how the young and uneducated black man would be in the veil without any knowledge of it until he was subject to the reality of discrimination that he was able to fully understand life from within it. As far as one could understand it, it would be nearly impossible for a white man at the time to comprehend the divide and suffering. Dubois’s text is impactful in a sociological way in that it unveils the racial dysfunctions within the society. That is why for DuBois, education is crucial in the fight against the white power over slavery.
Washington believed education for African Americans should focus on industry and trade, meanwhile DuBois preferred to attain a Liberal Arts education. Education was engrained into the core of their progressive solution. To fully understand why, we have to look into their life and educational experiences. Washington was born a slave and educated with a curriculum of trade and skill. With the knowledge and passion for a specific trade, a man is able to grow himself economically with focus. He does urge through this hard work that this method would gain the respect of the whites, leading to a fairly acceptable assimilation into the main population ideally with similar rights. It would also help develop material prosperity and a sense of self-worth since they are building their own future free of an owner’s assistance. The one flaw we see with this method is that it was to attain an economic foothold rather than gain equality throughout the whole societal spectrum. Dubois’s actually was a strong advocator for Washington’s strategy until he decided to turn his focus on his own civil rights agenda arguing that educated blacks could accomplish a shift in social standings. An education in liberal arts would further help close the “veil” he talks about frequently. Not only was this debate influential to the African American community, but fast forward until now where the ideals are imprinted into our education system. From vocational and trade schools to normal educational institutions.
DuBois and Washington would have two different assessments of the same man if they were to judge collectively. Washington would see a man’s strength and build upon it, focusing on the internals of that activity rather than the external. Washington talks about what you produce and what comes out of it. It’s a logic that has to underwrite the activity you are engaging in. Dubois would see what the man is missing and help grow their intellect. DuBois argues for the humanity and cultivation of culture. He notes that thinkers think for truth, not for fame. Thinker and worker are tied since one does not act as a mindless robot, which is what the institution of slavery has done to the slave. The opposition of thinkers and workers are not hierarchal.
One divide between Washington and Dubois would be their disagreement on sovereignty and political representation. The concept of rewarding individual merit is a backbone of Washington’s debate for education. Washington shows himself as an advocate for self-reliance and that merit will be praised. He recalls an example of praise towards his mother for making him a school cap rather than spending for one. His philosophy is that people who make themselves useful will be valued in society, regardless of race. During his time at Tuskegee University, he not only encourages students to learn and develop a trade, but self-agriculture, and handy-work. As his past is exposed, it becomes clear why he encourages others to be self-reliant. Two examples in his book: 'The individual who can do something that the world wants done will, in the end, make his way regardless of race'. 'Say what we will, there is something in human nature which we cannot blot out, which makes one man, in the end, recognize and reward merit in another, regardless of colour or race'. This idea of individualism is reflective of his belief that there is much more value in something you can show rather than say. It may be short-lived thinking, but it was useful for gaining traction inn his movement as it appealed to the normal African American to have something to show for themselves. What more effective way to utilize your physical skills to gain wealth and recognition?
Dubois believes that education is not the only factor, but also through democratic privileges. He wants to not only fight injustice, but also fight for the rights for all peoples in modern society. The famous question “How does it feel to be a problem?”. This question was to be asked for every African American or those under oppression at the time. Civil and political rights were preliminary rights that all African Americans were entitled to. Furthermore, in his book, DuBois analyzed the relationship that exists between blacks and whites, and how it is something that is important and should be brought to the attention of the nation. Though blacks and whites came into contact more by this time, racial contact across social classes were very minimal, although during the times of avid slavery it was the exact opposite. Using blacks for manual labor without the benefit of education, culture, and ideas belittled them and suggests that they were less than human. Harmonization of race relations could only occur between two self-respecting, cultured, educated races, not between a dominant elite and a forcibly subordinated, resentful minority. The current minority would be the black people, and the dominant elite would be the white people.
DuBois points out that the need for work is high in the south and how many people there are in need of jobs. The black man is not someone who is unskilled. He possesses the skill but lacks the proper employer. According to DuBois, this is why the black man cannot compete against the white man, due to this lack of guidance. DuBois wants the African-American race to show that they are not an inferior population. They are capable of doing exactly the same thing as the white man. However, they will not be able to accomplish anything if they continue to submit to the oppression that is in front of them. If they take the initiative to educate themselves and find reliable guidance, they will be able to compete with the people who once used them for slave labor and denied their natural rights. Overall, DuBois felt that Washington helped speed up African Americans to their loss of status and demise in the United States. They both saw a future where people would not be judged by the color of their skin.
