Primary Document Analysis - Essay Example

Primary Document Analysis Affiliation Introduction Washington and DuBois are two leaders who supported black American education and development as a way of attaining economic, social and political empowerment. However, their approach and strategies for achieving these goals were completely different. Booker T. Washington advocated for gradual economic empowerment at the expense of political rights while DuBois opposed this strategy. DuBois was advocating for total equality. He wanted the black Americans equal educational rights and opportunities just like the white Americans (DuBois, 1903). These two opposing strategies have gained support as well as criticism with the conservatives supporting Washington’s view while the reformist tended to agree with DuBois. The difference in philosophy between these two leaders led to the emergence of the Bookerites and Niagarites. B. T. Washington’s Philosophy Booker Taliaferro Washington was among the great black educators in the late 19th century. Washington was very influential on the southern race relations. Washington advocated for an education method that was supported by his followers, but rejected by reformers. His philosophy had three important aspects. The first aspect was accommodation. In his view, he believed that the Black Americans should accept that they were inferior to the white Americas, and could not attain or get the same level or type of education that the white Americans were getting (Reagan & Ferris, 1989). The white Americans were given more opportunities to attain the traditional academic education. He encouraged the black Americans to accept the fact that they were inferior to the white Americans. Washington therefore encouraged the black Americans to tolerate discrimination and instead focus on gaining technical knowledge that would allow them to gain material wealth (Reagan & Ferris, 1989). He argued that this was the only ways that the black Americans can gain recognition and acceptance by the white Americans. The second aspect of the Washington’s perspective of black American advancement was the belief that money and trade were more important to the black Americans than political power (Booker, 1896). The third and probably the most important or noticeable aspect of the Washington’s perspective of the black Americans education was industrial education. Washington believed that education in craft, farming and trade was what the black Americans needed (Booker, 1895). He believed that industrial education would give the Black Americans the needed skills to help them gain material prosperity.In addition to that, he argued that through industrial education; the black Americans would be able to cultivate and develop virtues that would in turn make them gain respect from the white community. Du Bois Philosophy Unlike T. Washington, Dubois was a free man who encouraged reforms in the education systems (Hill, 2004). His perspective heavily contrasted the view by Washington. DuBois was an academician and thinker who believed that the education systems needed to be reformed to ensure that it meets the needs of the black Americans (DuBois, 1903). Dubois focused on an approach called gradualist political strategy where he wanted the blacks to have intellectual advancement. He encouraged the blacks to be book smart in order to get where they aspired to be. According to him, the more intellectual the blacks became, the more they reduced the inequality gap between them and the whites. He therefore wanted the black community be given more education opportunities just like the white Americans (DuBois, 1903). Du Bois believed that the Washington’s program for the blacks that laid emphasis on accommodation and industrial training and it was meant to make the whites continue uprising the black citizens so that they remain superior (DuBois, 1903). He therefore advocated for academic education and strongly opposed the industrial training. In order to ensure that the black Americans were able to have access to academic education, Dubois called for reforms to ensure that the black citizens were not racially and socially segregated. He advocated for political action as well as a civil rights agenda to encourage academic education among the blacks. Du Bois formed the National Association for the Advancement of the Colored People to help advocate for academic education as a way of achieving political and economic power among the black population (DuBois, 1903). In order to further the agenda for academic education, DuBois encouraged Black Americans to further their education, become leaders and continue writing academic books since it was only through academic education that equality could be achieved (DuBois, 1903). Differences Between The Philosophies Advanced By The Two Leaders The two strategies that were being encouraged by these two leaders, Washington and DuBois were quite different in terms of philosophies. Whereas Washington ignored discrimination, DuBois was against it. Washington encouraged the blacks to accept that they were not equal to the whites (DuBois, 1903). This, he argued, would help in developing a good relationship between the whites and the blacks. It would also help in preventing animosity between the two factions. Washington even went ahead to accept discrimination in return for more resources that will aid industrial education among the black community (Reagan & Ferris, 1989). DuBois on the other hand opposed discrimination and encourages the black Americans to demand equal academic education rights. DuBois argues in his philosophy that it is only through reforms and equality that the black Americans can attain economic empowerment, education rights and even political rights. He therefore demands for more reforms to be initiated to promote equality (Du Bois, 1903). The second difference between the two philosophies is the type of education that is favored by the two leaders. Washington supports industrial training while DuBois opposed it. Washington argued that there is no need for the Black Americans to spend time in class studying subjects like Chemistry or Greek, whereas they could use industrial skills to get economic and material prosperity and in return get respect and acceptance from the white Americans (Booker, 1906). He therefore called for training on farming, thrift and craft. This was hugely opposed by DuBois, who believed in academic education. In order to ensure that the Black Americans do not remain trapped in lower economic and social classes, he encouraged them to seek education in arts and sciences (DuBois, 1903). He encouraged them to come out and demand for opportunities to succeed in arts and science rather than industrial schooling. Similarities Between The Two Perspectives Even though these two leaders had contradicting views on the approach to be taken towards empowerment of the Black Americans, one noticeable similarity in their views is the fact that they both believed that education was the best way to gain economic and social justice. They both encouraged the Black Americans to seek education, though the kind of education program suggested by each was different from the other. Despite the difference in approach, the aim was to achieve economic, social and political empowerments (Hill, 2004). Another striking similarity is that both perspectives discourage use of racially agitated violence as a way of getting education opportunities. In addition, both strategies were meant to educate the black American community and to enable them be considered as first class citizens in the United States of America, just the same way their white counterparts were considered (Hill, 2004). DuBois encouraged reforms so that the blacks could gain political power, civic equality and education and in turn become first class citizens. Friction Between Bookerites And Niagarites The different views of the two civil right leaders led to division in the black communities. Those who supported the view that the blacks should be trained for society as well as real life situations since it was more important than being book smart were referred to as the Bookerites. The Bookerites advocated for job or industrial education (Reagan & Ferris, 1889). They were also accommodative and accepted discrimination. Niagarites on the other hand agitated for reforms that would give the equal opportunities to attain same kind of education as the whites. Despite the differences that the two views elicited, the goal of these two groups was similar. All of the two philosophies that were supported by these two groups were geared towards empowering the black American communities. The major difference was on the approach to be used to attain the end goal. Despite the good intention of the two leaders, DuBois view was more suited to the temper of the times than Washington’s view. The accommodative philosophy that was being fronted by Booker T. Washington denied the black Americans three important things, namely: political power, civil right and higher education. The philosophy that was being championed by William Dubois on the other hand was intended to empower the black community by advocating for reforms that would give them political power, civic equality and higher education (DuBois, 1903). Even though Washington did valuable service to the black communities, his philosophy was not suited to help the black American achieve political and economic empowerment. Conclusion The views by Booker T. Washington and William DuBois led to the disfranchisement of the black American community. These two great leaders intended to help alleviate the black American status in the society through education. However, DuBois’s view was the best way to go about it as it would give the black community right to vote, access to higher education and civic equality. References Booker, T. (1906). Before the afro American council. BTW Society. Retrieved from http://btwsociety.org/library/speeches/06.php Booker, T. (1896). On the democracy and education. BTW Society. Retrieved from http://btwsociety.org/library/speeches/02.php Booker, T. (1895). The Atlanta exposition speech.BTW Society. Retrieved from http://btwsociety.org/library/speeches/01.php Du Bois, W. (1905). Niagara movement speech. Teaching American History .org. Retrieved from http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/niagara-movement-speech/ Du Bois, W. (1903).The talented tenth. Teaching American History .org. Retrieved from http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/the-talented-tenth/ Reagan, C. & Ferris, W. (1989). Booker T. Washington, 1856-1915. Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Retrieved from: http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/washington/bio.html/ Hill, C. (2004). W.E. B DuBois, 1868- 1963. Retrieved from: http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/duboissouls/bio.html Read More