DuBois v. Washington essays

DuBois v. Washington essays During the Gilded Age, many laws designed to oppress African-Americans were enacted throughout the South. These laws, called the Jim Crow laws, forced poll taxes and literacy tests in order to vote. In 1896, the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that racial segregation was legal as long as both facilities were equal. In response to black discrimination, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois stepped to the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Until the start of the twentieth century, both men had similar viewpoints. They believed that by providing industrial training to blacks, whites would create jobs for them. Once whites became dependent on black labor, the blacks could negotiate for more rights. At the start of the twentieth century, DuBois transformed his philosophy to one of immediate equality instead of Washington s belief of gradual equality. The Civil Rights strategy of Booker T. Washington was more practical than the method proposed by W.E.B. DuBois. Fi rst, Washington was able to relate to the economic and social conditions and needs of most black Americans while DuBois understood the needs of the elite blacks. Then, Washington gained the respect of whites while DuBois constantly harassed their moral views. Finally, Washington understood that blacks would need to earn respect from whites while DuBois wanted blacks to be given unconditional respect regardless of their accomplishments. Washington related to the economic and social conditions and needs of most black Americans while DuBois understood the talented tenth. Washington was born a slave on a Virginia plantation in 1856. He grew up in an environment typical to the majority of African-Americans during the Gilded Age. Having received an education, he became the leader at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The goal of the Tuskegee Institute was to give blacks industrial training. The enrollment of black children in schools ...