Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois

"The Negro problem." This archaically-named "problem" plagued America since its inception. What is the best way to treat the African-Americans whose ancestors had been forcibly dragged to this country? The obvious answer, to treat them as equal citizens, seemed like a radical idea after the Civil War, when although people believed slavery was wrong, they did not believe that treating African-Americans as second-class citizens was wrong.

Two leaders of the African-American community, Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois, had different solutions to the so-called "Negro problem." Washington's centered around making peace for the short-term, DuBois's centered around gaining rights for the long-term. Ultimately, DuBois's approach was probably the most successful as far as incorporating African-Americans into society as equals.

Washington realized that tensions between conservative whites and rights-demanding blacks in the South ran high. His solution to the "Negro problem" was to offer to trade African-Americans' social and political rights for some low-level economic opportunities. He reasoned that once blacks educated themselves sufficiently, they would achieve greater and greater things and whites would gladly recognize them as equal to themselves. He did not foresee "separate but equal" schools and did not realize the full extent of Southerners' racism.

DuBois, on the other hand, demanded that African Americans be given their rights. As he saw it, following Washington's plan would just be moving backwards in the fight for equality. With himself as an example, he knew that blacks were capable of achieving great things intellectually if given the chance. He wanted them to be educated according to their own abilities, not just trade school for everyone. DuBois was a visionary, and his ideals would be adopted by the civil rights movement that finally pressed for equality.

Copyright © 2002 Colleen Fischer | Last updated October 7, 2002