Garvey vs. Du Bois
The Common Difference’s of Elitism Vs. Nationalism
The often fierce ideological exchanges between Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois are interesting, not as much because of the eloquence of their expression, as because of the fact that although outwardly contradictory, these ideologies were often unified at their foundation. This unity was not simply in terms of the broad and obvious intent to better the conditions of “black folk”, it was in terms of the very details that defined the trajectory and means of the advancement of blacks in America and all over the world.
It is clear that the seeming ideological disunity between the Garvey and Du Bois perspectives only masked the commonalities that underpinned each of their approaches to advancing the condition of blacks, as there are numerous examples illustrating this fact. Both Garvey and Du Bois identified political, educational, and economic empowerment as pillars of their ideologies, and key strategies for improving the conditions of blacks, and yet, this point of ideological convergence was overshadowed by Du Bois’ disdain for Garvey’s (and Book T. Washington’s) emphasis on economic pursuits over educational and intellectual development. In a similar vein, while Garvey and Du Bois shared an allegiance to the Negro race as a global entity, Garvey was critical Du Bois’ willingness to identify with America in a patriotic fashion. Perhaps the most notable example of this phenomenon, however, is in Du Bois’ and Garvey’s shared view that blacks needed to look inwards to regroup and rebuild amongst their own before being asked to compete in with whites in commerce and other arenas. Paradoxically, this common perspective, for Garvey necessitated a Zionist/Separatist movement, while for Du Bois it necessitated greater patriotism on the part of the American people, so that all Americans, blacks and whites alike, could enjoy equal rights as sons of a common “fatherland”. In truth, it was only on those details that came
The often fierce ideological exchanges between Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois are interesting, not as much because of the eloquence of their expression, as because of the fact that although outwardly contradictory, these ideologies were often unified at their foundation. This unity was not simply in terms of the broad and obvious intent to better the conditions of “black folk”, it was in terms of the very details that defined the trajectory and means of the advancement of blacks in America and all over the world.
It is clear that the seeming ideological disunity between the Garvey and Du Bois perspectives only masked the commonalities that underpinned each of their approaches to advancing the condition of blacks, as there are numerous examples illustrating this fact. Both Garvey and Du Bois identified political, educational, and economic empowerment as pillars of their ideologies, and key strategies for improving the conditions of blacks, and yet, this point of ideological convergence was overshadowed by Du Bois’ disdain for Garvey’s (and Book T. Washington’s) emphasis on economic pursuits over educational and intellectual development. In a similar vein, while Garvey and Du Bois shared an allegiance to the Negro race as a global entity, Garvey was critical Du Bois’ willingness to identify with America in a patriotic fashion. Perhaps the most notable example of this phenomenon, however, is in Du Bois’ and Garvey’s shared view that blacks needed to look inwards to regroup and rebuild amongst their own before being asked to compete in with whites in commerce and other arenas. Paradoxically, this common perspective, for Garvey necessitated a Zionist/Separatist movement, while for Du Bois it necessitated greater patriotism on the part of the American people, so that all Americans, blacks and whites alike, could enjoy equal rights as sons of a common “fatherland”. In truth, it was only on those details that came