Dubois vs. Washington
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois were among two of the most influential black leaders that strove to attain racial equality for African Americans during the early twentieth century. Although both Washington and Dubois sought to advance civil rights for African Americans, each stressed a contrasting philosophy as to how to achieve their goal (Taylor).Heeding the belief that blacks would be granted civil and political rights after gaining economic independence, Washington urged blacks to temporally set aside their desire for equality and work toward economic advancement. Washington captured this philosophy cleverly in the phrase: "In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress" (Harlan). He was thus of the belief that blacks should remain "separate yet equal" and promoted the temporarily acceptance of segregation in exchange for economic advancement (Salley). In accordance his philosophy, Washington also maintained that a vocational education, rather than a college education, was the quickest route to economic success for blacks. He held that the development of practical work skills would give blacks an upper hand in seeking employme
Although problems are sill evident today, the United States is a better place for African Americans because of the lives and work of Booker T. Many also pointed out that Washington's lack of concern with equal rights for blacks did not represent an insightful long-range plan and declared that his philosophy was too idealistic (Pinkney). Many African Americans wanted to distance themselves from the primitive image that Africa carried in the minds of whites and thus looked to Washington as the most effective black representative (McKissack). Within black America, Du Bois's influence primarily appealed to only a small percent of the population. Most white Americans were strong proponents of segregation and consequently rejected Du Bois's philosophy, which centered upon on giving blacks equal rights. Today, African Americans enjoy legally protected rights that were only a dream in the youths of Booker T. Among the strongest opponents to Washington's philosophy was W. He feared that the success of Washington's industrial school would limit the development of true higher education for blacks and believed that blacks should also have the opportunity to obtain a college education (Straub).
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