Educational Thought for Black Advancement - Research Paper Example

?Educational Thought for Black Advancement The Blacks have been a suppressed race and suffered much oppression in the hands of White Southerners. Civil War only helped in liberating the blacks but it did nothing to improve their plight. Hence, to rise up in society the only means visible was education. Education was like a magical ladder that guaranteed social rise at the end of it. Yet, even the tool of education was seen differently by different individuals. A very clear case of difference in education lies between W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Both Washington and Du Bois were prominent Blacks who propagated education but in different manner. The book Norton Anthology of African American Literature applauds the efforts of these two Black leaders in the field of education and refers to their works with respect. However, it states that both these leaders failed to make any significant reform in the Black education system. In his famous book, Up from Slavery, Washington stresses on the industrial education of the Blacks. He reasoned that a vocation, or a job oriented study would help the Blacks realize their dreams and start an early and successful career of their liking. However, Du Bois in later years dismissed Washington’s claim on industrial education as an essential way of uprising of Blacks and instead stressed on the classical education form. Let us see the background of these writers and the points that the deliver in support of their thinking. Booker T. Washington Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an African American born in the family of a slave. He was the son of a Black slave woman and a White planter. He rose in his life due to proper education and became the last Black politician born into slavery. Washington dominated the America’s African American community during the period of 1890 to 1915. Besides being a political leader, Washington was also an orator, author and educator. Washington remained in power because he was able to influence both the prominent Southern Whites and also the business class Blacks. Besides, Washington was also able to influence the religious and educational classes. Along with his views, he also promoted for black individuals to obtain training in service trades and agricultural occupations (Meier 397). Washington is most famously known for his book “Up from Slavery” (published 1901). Up from Slavery “Up from Slavery” is an autobiographical book where Washington pens down his difficulties in rising up from slavery and educate him. Washington was "convinced that there is no education which one can get from books and costly apparatus that is equal to that which can be gotten from contact with great men and women…. Instead of studying books … how I wish that our schools and colleges might learn to study men and things (Washington, 1965, p. 49). Washington adopted the means of slow and steady progress and he advocates the same means to his Black readers. The main stress is on useful and marketable skills to pull the Blacks up as a race. Washington realizes that freedom was a "great responsibility" and that slaves realized they had "to think and plan for themselves and their children" including "the question … of a school … for colored children" (Washington 1965, pp. 27 - 28, 32) Washington urges the people of his community that while pursuing an education they should undergo some sort of a vocational or industrial training so that they could earn a decent living for themselves. He termed classical form of education for blacks as “impractical”. However, the Negroes belonging to working class South and Alabama rejected this theory and demanded more classical form of education for blacks. Critics said opined that this was Washington’s his was also a way of winning the goodwill of the White Southerners who would benefit from the skills of the Black and establish the African Blacks as a useful community. Washington suffered much criticism due to his beliefs and one of his most ardent critics was W. E. B. Du Bois. W. E. B. Du Bois W. E. B. Du Bois (23rd February, 1868 -27th August, 1963) was a multifaceted personality who worked passionately to raise the causes of the minority groups. He not only stood for the African Americans but in his struggle included all the colored people including Africans and Asians. He fought for racism and also took up women’s cause and supported women’s suffrage movement. Du Bois was the first African American to get a doctorate. He was a historian, a sociologist, a Pan-Africanist, a civil rights activist, an author and an editor. Du Bois worked as a professor of economics, sociology and history at the Atlanta University and co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Souls of Black Folk The Souls of Black Folk (published 1903) was a prominent book published by Du Bois. Here the author’s main intention was to portray the Black race in a ray of genius and humanity. The introduction contained the proclamation that "... the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line." (Lewis, p.192, Du Bois quoted by Louis). While the book focused on many aspects of the Black people’s lives, his main concern was that the African American needed a classic form of education, unlike the selective form propagated by Washington to raise more leaders and educators in the black community. According to Manning Marable, "Souls" justified the pursuit of higher education for Negroes and thus contributed to the rise of the black middle class.  Argument against Washington’s Thoughts on Education In his argument, Du Bois states that Washington’s concept of race relations in detrimental to the growth of the Blacks. The segregation concept of Washington and his emphasis on economic progress is representative of “old attitude of adjustment and submission." This Du Bois had stated was a major factor contributing to the loss of the civil rights, loss of votes, and also loss of institution for higher education. If the African American desired the same level of progress that the Whites of the nations had, then they need to cross over the psychological barrier and take a fulfilling and complete education that would help them in the long run. If the people make earning money as their primary focus then they would lose their grasp on finer things in life. They would become mere money making machines. So, while the stress on vocational training is there, Du Bois also lay emphasis on the standard system of education where an individual is honed up from all sided to make him an honorable citizen of the country who can make apt contribution not just as an useful skilled labor but as a leader and an educator who can change the plight of other downtrodden people of the country. In the chapter, “Of the Training of Black Men”, Du Bois says that “black college must maintain the standards of popular education, it must seek the social regeneration of the Negro, and it must help in the solution of problems of race contact and cooperation”. This would allow the Black men to be suitably educated to take on positions of responsibilities in the government offices. According to him, Washington’s subordinate policy for blacks “helped rationalize [segregation]… and put a public stamp of acceptance… when he spoke at the Atlanta Exposition” Du Bois further strengthens his point in another story “Of the Coming of John”. The story has many things in common with Washington’s view point and shows that by accepting a subordinate position the Blacks would expose themselves to further oppressions. Difference in Views Both Washington and Du Bois held different views regarding the treatment of Black education. While Washington held that the African Americans should go more for a vocational based education, Du Bois held that for the proper rise of the Black community, a traditional form of education is more in their interest. Both these views rose from the experiences of the authors. Washington was born into a slave family and he rose into prominence only through hard work and consistent labor and education. He sees his plight as an ideal example of the slow and steady way of progress and thinks the members of his community needs to have patience to rise up in society. He is also possessed with the typical slavish mentality and thinks that the Blacks can rise up in society only by proving their usefulness to the White community. It is through the help and mercy of Whites that the Blacks can gain a sufficient level of respect. If the Blacks are not given some of the rights (like the right to social equality, the right to vote, etc), then the Blacks should not show aggression, but simply wait patiently and by their patience, perseverance and skills prove to the White community that they are indeed quite useful to the society and hence they need to have some more rights granted to them. Du Bois on the other hand was born into a free family. He did not experience any slavish situation but was troubled by the wide spread racism found at every level of the society. By his sheer brilliance he completed the doctorate and then became a professor and an educator. Du Bois sets his life and himself as an example. He sees education as the only means by which one can really rise up in society. Education is an all round polisher that polishes up ones personality and hones the finer skills that automatically demands admiration and respect of the whole world. He is all in favor of fast and furious wins the race. So, he wants the people of his community to work hard and take an all inclusive education so that they can reach better jobs and better opportunities in life. He wants the blacks to have equal rights with the Whites in all the phases including the right to vote and the right to equality. He says that Washington’s ideas have harmed the Blacks to a greater extent. The Negros have been disenchanted, they have basically been allotted an inferior status in society and influential people have continuously withdrawn support from the institutions of higher studies of Negros. Washington favors common education for the Negro children, but to deliver the common education also the teachers would have to be qualified people and graduates from respectable institutions. So, in higher education only lies the progress of the Negroes for the highly educated people at superior positions would work in favor of other Negroes and help them gain prominence in society. “In effect, the African American college should train the "Talented Tenth" who can in turn contribute to lower education and also act as liaisons in improving race relations. Conclusion Both Washington and Du Bois had a common goal, that of educating the masses and forming a black leadership. “Washington’s educational philosophy was above all pragmatic, stressing the importance of relating education to life,” (E. L. Thornbrough, p. 37) whereas Du Bois was pressing for “higher education of the Negro youth.” (Ellicott Wright, p. 442). Both these leaders lay stress on education as the sole mean for evolution of the Negroes. They worked in the self interest of their community. They believed that education would gain them the respect that they deserve and pave way for positive changes in their lives. However, their approach path was vastly different. It was due to their efforts that the Blacks slowly started gaining recognition and gained complete assimilation into the mainstream society. At one instance in his book, the Souls of Black Folks, Du Bois says “of the million black youth, some were fitted to know and some to dig; that some had the capacity of university men, and some the talent and capacity of blacksmiths; and that true training meant neither that all should be college men nor all artisans … And to seek to make the blacksmith a scholar is almost as silly as the more modern scheme of making the scholar a blacksmith; almost, but not quite.” Hence, here we see that Du Bois is agreeing with Washington’s point to some extent that a person artistically inclined should be given training in that direction and should not be forced towards higher education. However, both these authors could not give a definite solution to racial discrimination and both took different roads to realize their dreams. Washington’s thoughts on education has led to the formation of two types of African Americans- one belonging to the liberal group and other belonging to the conservative group that took the help of education to gain economic success in the technological America. While Washington supported many students to acquire higher education and contribute constructively to the society, Du Bois inspired the African Americans to fight for their rights and take part in the Civil Rights Movement. Hence, in their own ways both these prominent Black personalities inspired the people of their community so that today we can recognize many important Black people in the world. Work Cited 1. The Souls of Black Folk (Penguin Classics reprint (paperback) ed.). New York: Penguin Books. April 1996.  Introduction by Donald B. Gibson. 2. Lewis, David Levering (1994), W. E. B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race, 1868-1919, Owl Books. 3. Marable, Manning (20 April, 2004). Living Black History: Resurrecting Intellectual Tradition. African American Culture Series. 4. Wright, Ellicott (1961). The Journal of Negro Education. Section D: The Souls of Black Folk and My Larger Education. Volume 30, No. 4. 5. E. L. Thornbrough (ed.), Booker T. Washington, Great Lives Observed (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1969) 6. Washington, B. T.(1965). Up From Slavery. New York: Dell. 7. McKay, Nellie White, Louis Gates Jr., Henry (December, 1996). The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. ISBN 978-0-393-97778-3. W. W. Norton & Co. 8. Du Bois, W.E.B. “Of the Coming of John.” Best American Essays of the Country. Ed. Joyce Carol Oats. New York : Houghton Mifflin. 2000.6-19. Print. 9. Meier, August. “Booker T. Washington and the Town of Mound Bayou.” Phylon 15.4 (1954): 396-401. JSTOR. Web. 28 Oct. 2008. Read More