Two Strategies: Booker T. Washington & W.E.B. Du Bois

Rachael Riggs

National American University

Two Strategies: Booker T. Washington & W.E.B. Du Bois

As slavery came to an end, and blacks moved to build their lives throughout the 20^th century, they continued to deal with racism and segregation. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were two men that wholeheartedly took on their own ideas of black reform, which they tried to encourage others to follow.

Booker T. Washington saw discrimination as inevitable. He realized that there was not much he could do to control it, so his strategy was for blacks to focus on themselves and ways to make themselves better. Receiving an education and specialized training would make blacks an asset that would earn the respect of whites without forcing the issue.

Du Bois did not agree with this strategy. He believed that one must continuously fight for equal rights to ever receive equal treatment. He was not willing to accept the segregation, and he let this be known as he defended his constitutional rights.

These two men had very different thoughts on the treatment of African Americans, and both wanted social acceptance and the same opportunities for blacks as there was for whites at the time. Both strategies were right in combination with each other to help further the progress of blacks; however, Washington's strategy alone likely would not have had the same effect to receive the respect that they desired. Booker T. Washington’s leniency for white politics earned him support from the whites, but demanding respect such as Du Bois had was needed to solidify equal rights of African Americans.

References

Corbett, S. P. (2012). U.S. History. OpenStax.

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