African Americans
In the period after Reconstruction the position of African Americans in southern American society steadily deteriorated. After 1877 the possibilities of advancements for African Americans disappeared almost completely. African Americans experienced a loss of voting rights and political power created by methods of terrorization such as lynching. The remaining political and economic gains that were made during reconstruction were eventually whittled away by Southern legislation. By the 1900s African Americans had almost no access to political, social, or economic power. Shortly after this Jim Crow laws began to emerge, segregating blacks and whites. This dramatic transition from African American power to powerlessness after reconstruction gave birth to two important leaders in the African American community, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Although these two remarkable men were both in search of a common goal, their roads leading to this goal were significantly different. This is most evident in the two most important documents of the men's careers: Booker T. Washington's, "1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech" and W.E.B. DuBois' response to this, "The Souls of Black Folks." These two men were both dedicated to solving t
" This is in direct contrast with the life of W. In fact, DuBois expressed a distinct prejudice against whites. Both Washington and DuBois received a college level education, but Washington's was merely vocational training versus the Harvard Ph. For African Americans this was a major solution to the economic problems they faced in the post reconstruction south. " This ideology gave way to popularity of Washington in both the African American and white communities. He was working on the assumption that blacks could better their position without any political or social rights, an impossible task. The Industrial fair was the showcase for the new south and a symbol of the progress the south had made in industry since the end of the civil war. He suffered neither severe economic hardship nor from repeated encounters with racism. In the first chapter of his Autobiography, Up From Slavery, he states, "My life had its beginning in the midst of the most miserable, desolate, and discouraging surroundings. He believes that whites have a morality deep down that only needs to be stirred up. DuBois has faith in American culture that does not exist in Washington. This is evidence that Washington was an accommodationist. " By doing this Washington hoped to appeal to the white Southerners who were weary of labor strikes in the North.
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Acceptance Essays
