Divergent Paths to Black Equality Booker T. Washington And W.E.B. DuBois

Booker T. Washington 1856: Born into slavery in Virginia After freedom, was educated at Hampton Institute Later became a professor at Hampton 1881: was chosen to head a new school called Tuskegee Institute

Upon arriving, found there were no buildings for classrooms, dorms, etc Students assisted in the construction of new buildings and renovation of existing structures Tuskegee became a normal and industrial school

W.E.B. DuBois Born free in the North Went to high school with whites Attended University of Berlin Master’s Degree and Phd from Harvard Worked at many different colleges in the US

Led the formation of the Niagara Movement to challenge Jim Crow Laws Also called for full manhood suffrage and an immediate end to segregation Movement was disbanded and was replaced by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Plans for Achieving Equality Booker T. Washington: Get a good vocational education Use this education to get a good job Work hard at this job and be thrifty, in order to gain respect from all people, while increasing wealth With respect and wealth will come Equality

Plans for Achieving Equality W.E.B. DuBois Get the best education you can Demand an end to Jim Crow laws and an end to Segregation Demand your right to vote Follow the lead of the “Talented Tenth” This is the 10% of the population that will lead the way to equality.

Atlanta Compromise 1895: Washington was invited to deliver an address to an integrated audience at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, GA His speech is called the Atlanta Compromise He claimed that it would be folly for blacks to demand voting rights and an end to segregation at that time

Tuskegee Machine Many in the US supported Washington’s conservative ideas on race relations. His group of supporters was called the Tuskegee Machine Washington also served as unofficial advisor on race relations to Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt 1901: published his autobiography: Up From Slavery

DuBois's Response to Washington’s Ideas By 1901, DuBois began criticizing Washington claiming: “…Washington's large financial responsibilities have made him dependent on the rich charitable public and that, for this reason, he has for years been compelled to tell, not the whole truth, but that part of it which certain powerful interests in America wish to appear as the whole truth.“ DuBois also claimed that Washington was moving too slowly, and began to call Washington, “the great accommodator” 1903: DuBois published a series of essays critical of Washington’s ideas titled, The Souls of Black Folk

Washington’s Response to DuBois’s Ideas Washington claimed that DuBois’ ideas would not be accepted by the power structure in the South and would instead result in greater obstacles to black equality Washington understood that his own approach would take time, but would offer a positive plan that would eventually lead to equality, while DuBois’s plan would lead to greater violence against blacks in the South.

Questions to Consider: What similarities exist between the two plans? What would account for the differences between the two plans? In what ways are each plan appropriate for the time they were conceived? What are the strengths of each plan? Which plan was most successful? Why?