Du Bois And Booker T Washington Essay - 1150 Words

Both W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were prominent figures in the advancement of African Americans during the 19th and 20th centuries. The facade of unity among these leaders was broken when Du Bois addressed Washington’s book, Up From Slavery, in a chapter named â€Å"Of Booker T. Washington and Others† from his novel, The Souls of Black Folk. Although he did acknowledge the accomplishments of Washington, Du Bois was clearly opposed to most of his ideas. Through the topics of submission and education, Du Bois exposes the paradoxical nature of Washington’s plan and presents a stronger argument than the passive Washington. As Washington tries to prevent controversy within the white and black communities, he weakens his arguments and is†¦show more content†¦After making this blanket statement about the shared compassion of slave and master, he comments, â€Å"From some things that I have said one may get the idea that some of the slaves did not want freedom. This is not true. I have never seen one who did not want to be free, or one who would return to slavery† (pg. 555). In this instance, he is concerned that the black community will think he is advocating for slavery and tries to fix it by clarifying his view on slavery a few paragraphs later. However, this is not a clarification, it is Washington contradicting himself. The two ideas he presents, slavery made a mutualistic relationship between black and white people and his disapproval of slavery, are on very opposite sides of the spectrum. If he opposes slavery, there is no reason to mention his experience with a nice master because v ery few slaves had that experience. The conflict between ideas creates doubt and decapitates his argument before it can be scrutinized. Because of his concern with pleasing everyone, Washington appears submissive and creates weaknesses in his argument that Du Bois easily discredits. Washington believed that industrial education is superior to the higher education of African Americans and Du Bois’s argument against this shows the flaws within his reasoning. In order for African Americans to be truly considered equal in the American society, theyShow MoreRelatedEssay on W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington1240 Words   |  5 PagesW.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were two very influential leaders in the black community during the late 19th century, early 20th century. However, they both had different views on improvement of social and economic standing for blacks. Booker T. Washington, an ex-slave, put into practice his educational ideas at Tuskegee, which opened in 1881. Washington stressed patience, manual training, and hard work. He believed that blacks should go to school, learn skills, and work their way up theRead MoreEssay on W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington864 Words   |  4 PagesW.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. 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