Compare and Contrast Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois. Which man was a more effective advocate for blacks` rights?

19th African American Leadership : Two Voices , One Vision

Booker T . Washington and W .E .B . Du Bois , two distinct figures , whom both found the latter part of the 1800 's , in need of leadership from within a segmented group of American Society were placed in odds over a single issue .successful racial up lift ' for the African American population

As in any case when the attention of the masses is at stake , the titanic collision of honed minds was inevitable . The two men , sought to position their respective plans as the predominate

solution to solve racial inequality and achieve racial uplift for population of former slaves and born free citizens in the United States

Booker T . Washington , born into slavery , 1856 , for the first nine years of his life , held that the black community must exercise patience . Any abrupt aggressive action by African Americans would be interpreted as threatening by the Caucasian majority therefore inviting justifiable increased discrimination against blacks . Washington 's philosophy put forth the notion that blacks should be willing to sacrifice social and political equality , in exchange for economic liberty . The path to up lifting ' would be achieved through fidelity , being trusty worthy and industrial

Born free in 1868 , W .E .B . Du Bois was the product of a respectable family that held position in the community of Great Barrington Massachusetts . Du Bois believed the top ten percent or as he dubbed it the talented tenth ' of the African American population should focus all their energy on higher education . The African American intellectuals would then lead the masses to a higher social rung Protest , challenge , provocation were the watch words for Du Bois method . He clearly felt immediate political , social and racial equality was warranted

As stated by Jacqueline M . Moore , author and educator , Booker T Washington , W .E .B . Du Bois , and the Struggle for Racial Uplift , the debate recognized that there were more than two methods of racial uplift (Moore ,

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Washington 's views , was somewhat misconstrued to believe he was selling out ' to the majority of American Society . While he felt that African Americans should not push themselves into unwelcome arenas , he knew that political accomplishments were short lived and whimsical . His confidence was in the economical and financial gains that were long term and wielded tangible influence

Washington was clever enough to quietly lobby majority law makers and civic organizations in behind scene efforts to garner support for African American enfranchisement . Even more astute by Washington was his ability to fund his educational agenda from wealthy financial supporters

Du Bois took the position that Caucasian America should be held at an arms distance , neither rejecting nor embracing . He felt the way to eliminate tension between the races was to create a synergy between being African Americans and the rest of America by utilizing the talents of the so called Talented Tenth ' to spearhead the struggle for national racial equality . Thru Du bois ' multiple initiatives to further promote his cause , encouraging action and...