Washington’s idea of economical equality before social equality makes sense to me because many of the African Americans at the time were poor and without jobs. Because of the racial issues, very few whites would even consider hiring an African American in their businesses. Washington’s idea and plan was to build a workplace built by the African Americans themselves so they could find work and get an education through his schooling. Through this idea, although the right to vote was important to Washington, it would not come first. So the political rights would not be taken care until the African Americans were economically accepted by the whites. However, DuBois considered the right to vote the most important thing and that it should be argued and fought for before anything else. He believed that the ¨Talented Tenth¨ which was a term made famous by DuBois in an article published in The Negro Problem in 1903. In the essay, Du Bois issues an argument for the higher education of African Americans. He claims “to attempt to establish any sort of a system of common and industrial school training, without first providing for the higher training of the very best teachers, is simply throwing your money at the winds.” Under the legal law, African Americans and Caucasians are equal. For example our current president is an African American. However, there will always be racial problems in society. I believe this to be true because even in today’s news, people hear about…
Washington asked the white people for support not equality. Booker T. Washington believed that African-Americans would not make it any where in society if they focused solely on equality. Washington wanted to have blacks trained for society and real life situations; he thought that this would improve black’s lives greatly. Instead of blacks being looked at as solely useless individuals, they would gain knowledge of real world situations and how to handle them. He did not see white and black as a difference anyways, he wanted all people to be fairly the same. Washington wanted job-education for blacks so they could learn how to do their jobs and do it properly. No more whites teaching blacks how to ‘do their job,’ but for blacks to already have the knowledge they needed to be their own bosses or someone else’s…
Mary Church was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on 23rd September, 1863. Both her parents, Robert Church and Louisa Ayers, were both former slaves. Robert was the son of his white master, Charles Church.…
Although not officially recorded, Booker T Washington was born in Franklin County, Virginia either in 1858 or 1859. He is unsure of the exact date, but does know that he was born near a crossroads post-office called Hale’s Ford. Born a slave, Booker describes his surroundings as miserable, desolate and discouraging, even though his owner was not too cruel. He had no record of his ancestry or name because he did not know his father. His mother worked as the plantation cook and he helped. He was in charge of the sweet potatoes; he often stole a few when he could. He had no schooling or education. The information the slaves received usually came from the slave that went to the post office to retrieve the mail. The slave would linger around as long as he could, listening to people’s conversations. The biggest news he got was from listening to his mother pray that Lincoln and…
Washington presented his approach to an audience on September 18, 1895, when he delivered his Atlanta Compromise Address. In his address, Washington advised blacks to accept discrimination for the time being and concentrate on elevating themselves through hard work and an education and career in an industrial study, such as farming, enterprise, housekeeping, or thrift. He explained that this would earn the respect of whites and eventually incorporate them into society. Washington assured, “No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is going to be in any degree ostracized” (Source D). DuBois, on the other hand, disagreed and argued that social change could only be accomplished by giving the black population a higher education and developing them into cultured individuals. Although well intentioned, DuBois’ plan was quite unrealistic. During this time period, over half of the black population above age nine was illiterate and only about 1/3 of Negros…
Many towns in the south were destroyed, the railroads were ruined, and so were the farms and plantations. Due to these results of the civil war the south hit poverty. During the reconstruction period the federal government built railroads, telegraph lines, and bridges. They also built schools for blacks and whites. Due to the high costs it caused in increase in taxes which angered the white southerners. The freedman had to give up their political powers during this time to make a living. The freedmen were convinced to stop voting or take part in political events by telling them that if they became political they would lose their jobs because they would get fired (Doc#6). They were threaten to get fired because whites did not want the African Americans to cause people to frown upon the person who gave them the job. Often freedmen were fired if they became political so they weren’t able to make a living. The freedman had no other choice but to give up their political powers and work to support their families. They had no other way of making money they only worked for it like a slave when they were supposed to be free. Some of the reasons of why the freedman did not have or be able to get full citizenship were because nobody gave them economic support, and they had no skills or training of any sort from the government (Doc#7). The freedman stayed in defacto slavery conditions, meaning that slavery was not allowed but they had near slavery conditions. Before the civil war they lived in du jure slavery were they were treated like slaves because it was allowed. Reconstruction failed because on the sharecropping and tennant farmers. Sharecroppers cared for the entire plantations and they received small portion in return for efforts. Tennant farmers made small portions of crops and/ or the farms was rented to a person I exchange for money. Booker T Washington believed that all African Americans should work for…
I will examine the influence of Dr. Booker T. Washington on the history of American Universities and Colleges during the early 1900’s. My goal is to examine the leadership and innovative actions used by Dr. Washington to aid the needs of the first historically Black college and University. I will contemplate on Dr. Washington’s practices and compare enrollment rates, growth, curricula, and graduation rates to other established American Universities and Colleges in the same time period, as well as, Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the present.…
Booker T Washington and W.E.B Dubois were both born into slavery. They had many of the same life experiences. Despite them having experienced similar things growing up they had different views for the post-slavery Negro. Different views on how the Negros and Whites should co-exist.…
Washington brought forth the idea of hard work and education as the foundation for new ideologies of African Americans. He has taught the reader that although he came from nothing, he built a life for himself and paved the way for blacks of generations to come. Washington used this book to portray to so many young men and women that it is more than just race and that anyone can have the life they yearn for so long as they work towards it. Through education and dedicated labor anything is possible, no matter that race or age. Washington pushed for a brighter tomorrow in the lives of African Americans throughout time, because of his upfront storytelling and strive for achieving greatness he achieved just…
Throughout the twentieth century, African Americans fought to obtained equality. During this battle, many African Americans expressed their concerns about racism and plans to uplift their race. Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. DuBois were three speakers that caught many people attention. In an excerpt from Southern Horrors, Wells strongly states how feeling about lynching. She believed that lynching gave the “white man” the opportunity to kill the “black man” any time he feels the need. “Over the course of two years, 728 African Americans were lynched” (Wells). A wrongfully accused black man was lynch because the white men thought he raped a white woman. “The girl herself maintained that her assailant was a white man”, stated Wells. Wells believed that her people should demand that the lynch laws be condemned. If they (the white men) did not stop with the unnecessary lynching, her people should withdraw their labor. She stated, “If labor is withdrawn, capital will not remain.” This idea will make the whites cease their behavior if they want to make money. The plans of ceasing labor in order to get what you want was essential for black racial uplift. Washington had a different approach. He believed that African Americans should become friends with the people that surrounded…
Booker T. Washington’s beliefs towards racial equality were expressed during his Atlanta Exposition Speech in 1895. The speech he gave was based on the theory that southern whites and blacks needed each other in order to make their society work to its fullest potential. Booker T. Washington was seen as a man who wanted equal civilization in the southern states. He…
In 1895 there was discrimination everywhere. In America people of African descent had a miserable existence. Less than 40 years earlier, they were either “owned” property, known as slaves, or lived a very humble, poverty stricken life. Booker T. Washington was among a number of very few blacks that were articulate, well educated, and well informed. He was aware that his life stood as an example to both blacks and whites that his race was capable of much more. His purpose was to bring the United States together and show how everyone could benefit. In this speech, Booker T. Washington uses many rhetorical devices to promote changes in the combined community of the nation. In his opening statements he was clear that the audience as a participating element in society should recognize the “American Negro”.…
"You take a young white boy. He can go through school and college with a real incentive. He knows he can make good money in any profession when he gets out. But can a Negro- in the South? No, I've seen many make brilliant grades in college. And yet when they come home in the summers to earn a little money, they have to do the most menial work. And…
Although both authors thought education is the solution to fight against discrimination for Blacks, they have different view about the purpose of education. When Washington was a kid, he had a burning desire for education. Washington were born at time slavery nearly ended; therefore, he lived as a slave at the early of his life. Despite the fact that he was skinner and weaker than other kids, Washington had to work and he never had time to play. The first impression of school to Washington is that “I remember going on several occasions as far as the school-house door with one of my young mistresses to carry her books. The picture of several dozen boys and girls in a schoolroom engaged in study mage a deep impression on me, and I had the feeling…
This chapter begins where it should begin - at the beginning! Or least at the beginning as Booker knew it. He tells us he was born in Franklin County Virginia, but he is not sure of the year - it’s either 1858 or 1859 - and he doesn’t know what month or what day. He does know that his birth took place near a crossroads post-office called Hale’s Ford. Otherwise, his earliest impressions are of the plantation and the slave quarters, the most miserable, desolate, and discouraging of surroundings. His owners were not especially cruel, at least not as compared to other owners, but still he was forced to live in a 14 x 16 foot cabin with his mother, his brother, and his sister.…