booker t washington vs dubois essay

W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington Had Clashing Ideologies During the Civil Rights Movement

The differences between the activists were what made them stronger as pioneers of the movement.

Washington believed Black people should have economic independence

Born into slavery in Virginia in 1856, Washington’s early life and education did much to influence his later thinking. After the Civil War he worked in a salt mine and as a domestic for a white family and eventually attended the Hampton Institute, one of the first all-Black schools in America. After completing his education, he began teaching, and in 1881 he was selected to head the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama, a sort of vocational school that sought to give African Americans the necessary moral instruction and practical work skills to make them successful in the burgeoning Industrial Revolution.

Washington believed that it was economic independence and the ability to show themselves as productive members of society that would eventually lead Black people to true equality and that they should for the time being set aside any demands for civil rights. These ideas formed the essence of a speech he delivered to a mixed-race audience at the Cotton State and International Exposition in Atlanta in 1895. There and elsewhere, his ideas were readily accepted by both Black people who believed in the practical rationality of his approach, and white people who were more than happy to defer any real discussion of social and political equality for Black people to a later date. It was, however, referred to pejoratively as the “Atlanta Compromise” by its critics. And among them was Du Bois.

Born to a free Black family, Du Bois first experienced bigotry in college

Du Bois was born in 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to a free Black family in a comparatively integrated community. He attended the local schools and excelled in his studies, eventually graduating as valedictorian of his class. However, when in 1885 he began attending Fisk University in Tennessee, he encountered for the first time the open bigotry and repression of the Jim Crow South, and the experience had a profound impact on his thinking. Du Bois returned to the North to further his education, with nothing less than equal rights for Black Americans being his ultimate goal. When he earned his Ph.D from Harvard University in 1895, he was the first Black man to have done so, and his dissertation, “The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America, 1638–1870,” was one of the first academic works on the subject.

Washington and Du Bois' ideologies clashed

By the early 20th century, Washington and Du Bois were the two most influential Black men in the country. Washington's conciliatory approach to civil rights had made him adept at fundraising for his Tuskegee Institute, as well as for other Black organizations, and had also endeared him to the white establishment, including President Theodore Roosevelt , who often consulted him regarding all matters about Black people.

On the other hand, Du Bois had by that time become the country’s foremost Black intellectual, having published numerous influential works on the conditions of Black Americans. In contrast to Washington, Du Bois maintained that education and civil rights were the only way to equality and that conceding their pursuit would simply serve to reinforce the notion of Black people as second-class citizens. Following a series of articles in which the two men expounded on their ideologies, their differences finally came to a head when, in 1903, Du Bois published a work titled The Souls of Black Folks , in which he directly criticized Washington and his approach and went on to demand full civil rights for Black people.

More than just deepening the personal dislike between Washington and Du Bois, this ideological rift would in time prove to be one of the most important in the history of the struggle for civil rights. Believing that political action and agitation were the only way to achieve equality, in 1905 Du Bois and other Black intellectuals founded a political group called Niagara, which was dedicated to the cause. Though the group eventually dissolved a few years later, in 1909 several of its members and many of its aims were incorporated into a new organization — the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). For the next 25 years, Du Bois would serve as its director of publicity, as well as the editor of its journal, Crisis , which became the mouthpiece for the organization, for Du Bois and for Black America in general.

READ MORE: How W.E.B. Du Bois Helped Create the NAACP

When President Woodrow Wilson assumed office in 1913, he immediately segregated the federal government, and Washington consequently lost the political influence he had enjoyed for the previous decade. Washington died in Tuskegee, Alabama, on November 14, 1915.

Du Bois eventually split from the NAACP, but he continued to champion the cause of civil rights for both African Americans and the African diaspora around the world. After joining the American Communist Party in 1961, Du Bois repatriated to Ghana and became a naturalized citizen. He died in Ghana on August 27, 1963, at the age of 95. Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington the next day.

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This article is no longer being updated. It was published alongside the film "The Two Nations of Black America," which originally aired on February 10, 1998.

The Debate Between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington

Two great leaders of the black community in the late 19th and 20th century were W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. However, they sharply disagreed on strategies for black social and economic progress. Their opposing philosophies can be found in much of today’s discussions over how to end class and racial injustice, what is the role of black leadership, and what do the ‘haves’ owe the ‘have-nots’ in the black community.

Booker T. Washington, educator, reformer and the most influentional black leader of his time (1856-1915) preached a philosophy of self-help, racial solidarity and accomodation. He urged blacks to accept discrimination for the time being and concentrate on elevating themselves through hard work and material prosperity. He believed in education in the crafts, industrial and farming skills and the cultivation of the virtues of patience, enterprise and thrift. This, he said, would win the respect of whites and lead to African Americans being fully accepted as citizens and integrated into all strata of society.

W.E.B. Du Bois, a towering black intellectual, scholar and political thinker (1868-1963) said no–Washington’s strategy would serve only to perpetuate white oppression. Du Bois advocated political action and a civil rights agenda (he helped found the NAACP). In addition, he argued that social change could be accomplished by developing the small group of college-educated blacks he called “the Talented Tenth:”

“The Negro Race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education then, among Negroes, must first of all deal with the “Talented Tenth.” It is the problem of developing the best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the worst.”

At the time, the Washington/Du Bois dispute polarized African American leaders into two wings–the ‘conservative’ supporters of Washington and his ‘radical’ critics. The Du Bois philosophy of agitation and protest for civil rights flowed directly into the Civil Rights movement which began to develop in the 1950’s and exploded in the 1960’s. Booker T. today is associated, perhaps unfairly, with the self-help/colorblind/Republican/Clarence Thomas/Thomas Sowell wing of the black community and its leaders. The Nation of Islam and Maulana Karenga’s Afrocentrism derive too from this strand out of Booker T.’s philosophy. However, the latter advocated withdrawal from the mainstream in the name of economic advancement.

Links/Readings for Du Bois & Washington

A last interview with w.e.b. du bois.

This interesting 1965 article by writer Ralph McGill in The Atlantic combines an interview with Du Bois shortly before his death with McGill’s analysis of his life. In the interview, Du Bois discusses Booker T., looks back on his controversial break with him and explains how their backgrounds accounted for their opposing views on strategies for black social progress

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E. B. Du Bois

Here is the full text of this classic in the literature of civil rights. It is a prophetic work anticipating and inspiring much of the black consciousness and activism of the 1960s. In it Du Bois describes the magnitude of American racism and demands that it end. He draws on his own life for illustration- from his early experrience teaching in the hills of Tennessee to the death of his infant son and his historic break with the ‘accomodationist’ position of Booker T. Washington..

Black History, American History

This archival section of The Atlantic magazine online offers several essays by Du Bois (as well as Booker T. Washington). In particular, in “The Training of Black Men” he continues his debate with Washington.

W.E.B.Du Bois

This site on Du Bois offers a lengthy biographical summary and a bilbiography of his writings and books.

Booker T. Washington

A summary of Booker T.’s life, philosophy and achievements, with a link to the famous September 1895 speech, “the Atlanta Compromise,” which propelled him onto the national scene as a leader and spokesman for African Americans. In the speech he advocated black Americans accept for awhile the political and social status quo of segregation and discriminaton and concentrate instead on self-help and building economic and material success within the black community.

Up From Slavery

Here is the full text of Booker T. Washington’s fine autobiography, published in 1900.

Two Essays by Booker T.

“Signs of Progress Among the Negroes,” “Awakening of the Negro” written around the turn of the century can be accessed from this web page; scroll down to ‘Washington.’

Booker T. Washington Ambassador and Spokesman

Washington was the first black to be invited to the White House for dinner with a President. The invitation came from Theodore Roosevelt and this article, written at the time by a Howard University professor, deals with this event and conveys the very powerful image of Washington in the eyes of ten million black Americans during the turn of the century.

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Booker T Washington vs W.E.B Du Bois: The Great Debate

Booker T Washington vs W.E.B Du Bois took place before Martin vs Malcom.

But what was the great debate that shaped the course of the civil rights movement? And was this a real rivalry or more of a disagreement on how to fight racism in America?

Both Booker T Washington and W.E.B Du Bois are extraordinary figures in American history. Each men had profound influence in the early 1900s in the struggle for Black equality, an influence that left an impact that can still be seen and felt.

The great Booker T Washington vs W.E.B Du Bois debate was over which road would lead to equality: economic independence or fighting for civil rights. Washington believed Blacks having economic independence and creating wealth for themselves would lead to equality while Du Bois argued that fighting for civil rights was the right course to take.

Born a Slave, Washington Becomes Black Elite

Booker T. Washington was born on April 5, 1856 into slavery in Virginia. After his mother, Jane (an African American woman), was emancipated, she moved the family to West Virginia. Washington’s father was white, and he never knew the identity of his father. Young Washington went on to attend Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University) and Wayland Seminary (now Virginia Union University).

In 1881, Booker T. Washington became the first leader of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a new organization founded for the higher education of Blacks. He expanded the school by having the students work at the college constructing buildings and maintaining a large farm.

RELATED: Last Slave Ship, Clotilda, and the Story of the Last Survivor Slave

Washington became a popular figure in the Black community and with liberal Whites across the country.

Even though he was criticized for not supporting civil right causes and having a softer tone when it comes to dealing with racism, Washington secretly funded litigation for civil rights cases, challenging laws that hurt Blacks across the South.

Booker T. Washington also used his connections with rich white philanthropists to fund other schools he was developing besides Tuskegee. The likes of J.P. Morgan, Collis P. Huntington, and John D. Rockefeller contributed to Washington’s cause. He encouraged Black youths to learn skills that would make them great participants in the industrial revolution, and hence making them valuable members of society.

In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him and his family at the White House. This was the first time a Black leader was officially invited to the white house and garnered high publicity as a social occasion.

By the time of his death in 1915, Washington had written 14 books, including his popular autobiography, Up from Slavery .

 W.E.B. Du Bois Had A Different Perspective

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du Bois’ parents, mother Mary Silvina Du Bois and father Alfred Du Bois, separated when he was only two and Du Bois was raised with his mother’s family.

Living in a majority white neighborhood and attending a white school, Du Bois encountered racism. However, his brilliant mind was recognized and encouraged as a child. After high school, when DuBois decided to go to college, the First Congregational Church of Great Barrington raised the money for his tuition.

Du Bois attended Fisk University (a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee) and Harvard College. He went to Germany to attend the University of Berlin for graduate work. Du Bois returned home to attend Harvard University and became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from there.

RELATED: On Julian Bond & His Timeless Quotes on Civil Rights 

In 1900, Du Bois attended the First Pan-African Conference held in London.

He drafted a letter titled “Address to the Nations of the World”, a letter that called for world leaders to fight racism, grant colonies in Africa and the West Indies their independence, and demand political rights for African Americans.

In 1903, Du Bois published The Souls of Black Folk , a collection of 14 essays the depicted Black life at the turn of the century. The book is believed to be one of the most influential social books of the century.

After the creation of the NAACP in 1910, Du Bois was given the position of Director of Publicity and Research. His main job was editing the NAACP’s monthly magazine, which he named The Crisis . The magazine was a major success and the circulation reached 100,000 in 1920.

When the Harlem Renaissance took place in the mid-1920s, Du Bois promoted African American artistic creativity in his writings, such as his article “A Negro Art Renaissance.”  Dr. Du Bois was also an outspoken Socialist and ran for the U.S. Senate on the American Labor Party in 1950, at the age of 82.

Among other things, Du Bois was a sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, and writer. He died in Accra, Ghana in 1963, one year before The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the act that embodied many of the reforms Du Bois fight for all his life.

Booker T Washington vs W.E.B Du Bois

Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had the goal of liberating the Black race from inequality and hardship. How can this be achieved best? Is it through Blacks concentrating their efforts on work, building businesses, and creating wealth for themselves and their communities or through putting their efforts to fight the system for equal citizen rights?

In the decades since his passing, Booker T. Washington has been greatly criticized for his “accommodating” approach when it comes to fighting racism. He believed if a race war was to break out, Blacks, who were severely outnumbered, would be demolished. So, in order to avoid a harsh conflict that could destroy communities, he believed Blacks should have a cautious approach when fighting for civil rights.

Washington believed the first step towards complete equality for blacks was a step towards financial independence.

RELATED: The Silent Parade of 1917: Why the Forgotten March Matters 

In 1895, Booker T. Washington gave a speech at a Cotton State and international Exposition in Atlanta. In the speech, Washington emphasized that Blacks should set aside their demands for civil rights for now and instead concentrate on building strong communities through commerce.

Washington said: “Ignorant and inexperienced, it is not strange that in the first years of our new life we began at the top instead of at the bottom; that a seat in Congress or the state legislature was more sought than real estate or industrial skill; that the political conversation or stump speaking had more attractions than starting a dairy farm or truck garden.”

Washington basically wanted blacks to be left alone in their communities, even if segregated, to farm their lands, own their lands, and build their own communities. He told whites, it’s ok, we won’t bother you about civil rights, and you don’t bother us.

The speech was generally accepted well at the time by Blacks in the South.  They viewed it as a practical way for Blacks and Whites to co-exist.

W.E.B. Du Bois first supported Washington’s speech but later became one of his harshest critics.

In one of his essays, titled “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others”, Du Bois had this to say: “Mr. Washington came, with a single definite programme, at the psychological moment when the nation was a little ashamed of having bestowed so much sentiment of Negroes, and was concentrating its energies on Dollars. His programme of industrial education, conciliation of the South, and submission and silence as to civil and political rights, was not wholly original…But Mr. Washington first dissolubly linked these things; he put enthusiasm, unlimited energy, and perfect faith into this programme, and changed it from a by-path into a veritable Way of Life. And the tale of the methods by  which he did this is a fascinating study of human life.”

After Washington’s passing, Du Bois became the leading black intellectual and brought his ideas to the forefront of the civil rights movement. He believed putting all efforts into building wealth without having civil rights guaranteed to Blacks was a dangerous approach.

Du Bois was not alone in believing this. Booker T. Washington was viewed as a sell out for decades until a re-examination of his life and teachings lead many to believe that he had a reasonable approach for the way things were at the time.

Washington’s push for putting almost all efforts into building strong Black communities away from white communities is an idea a lot of Black leaders view as smart now. His push for Black ownership is the basis for many successful black businesses that kept many communities afloat in the South.

Of course, it is easy to see where Du Bois’ influence has lead. The Civil Rights Movement was built on the back of teachings and ideas spread by the likes of W.E.B Du Bois.

What is your opinion on the matter? Let us know below in the comments.

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Compare and Contrast: W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington

Introduction, similarities between web dubois and booker t. washington, difference between booker t. washington and web dubois.

Need to compare and contrast WEB DuBois and Booker T. Washington? Get inspired by this essay sample! Here, you will find both differences and similarities between DuBois and Washington. See what the two famous leaders agreed on and where their beliefs differed.

W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington are well-known for what they have achieved in their lives as leaders. They are recognized as significant leaders of the African American society during the period towards the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Although they were both leaders concerned with the same community, the African American, they often disagreed on some aspects: for instance, the strategies to be adopted for the sake of allowing prosperity of the African Americans both socially and economically. This piece of work gives critical information regarding differences and similarities between DuBois and Washington.

Although W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were distinct leaders governing African American society, they have some similarities in regard to their leadership styles as well as their general life. One similarity is that they both advocated for improvement of the African Americans and engaged in activities aimed at achieving this. They were both educated and had a good understanding of leadership and the different styles that could be applied to get things done. Both Du Bois and Washington died as heroes having accomplished a lot in regard to fighting for equality. Du Bois legacy as an informative writer and a strong racial leader especially being an Afro- American has lived to present. Washington has also been remembered for his realistic movements as he ensured that the African Americans achieved the best without interrupting the status quo. This made him receive a lot of power and authority which in turn enabled him to perpetrate even much things for which he is remembered to today. He appeared in the United States postage stamp as well as the 50 cent coin (Washington 117).

Even though W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T Washington were very different in their leadership philosophies, they both influenced the black people in the United States of America to what they have come to be today through enlightening them on their rights and helping them to achieve them. They both came at a critical moment, after reconstruction, when the status of the African Americans in the southern American society weakened as they lost access to power (social, political and economic). It was the transition of the African American from a state of power to powerlessness that Du Bois and Washington came to their rescue (Du Bois 46).

There are some notable differences that exist between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington in terms of their leadership undertakings as well as general life. W.E.B. Du Bois believed that civil rights could be attained through revolution movements while Booker T. Washington insisted that civil rights could be achieved through evolution. According to Booker Washington, the African Americans would only achieve success after reaching a certain level of development in various aspects. He therefore advocated for togetherness of the African Americans through carrying out processes aimed at development as well as emphasizing on financial progress and education prosperity. This was meant to empower them with relevant skills and knowledge that would help them to be involved in productive sectors of the economy. They were however required to wait before engaging in political activities. This would make the blacks to evolve from their poor status to a position close to the whites (Washington 5).

Du Bois W.E.B. on the other hand believed that the African Americans were not supposed to wait but rather to engage in all activities that would empower them in any way including politics. He based his argument on the fact that they also had their political rights just like the whites and so they were supposed to participating in governance to ensure that their needs were well incorporated in the state’s decisions making. As opposed to Washington Booker, Du Bois believed that the African Americans had no point of proving to the whites that they were worthy being treated equally but they ought to fight/ demand for what they were meant to receive as stipulated by the constitution of the United States of America. He advocated for confrontation while Washington advocated for use of indirect means (Du Bois 12).

Du Bois, having a black origin, was more vigorous in fighting for the blacks’ prosperity as he really understood what humiliation they went through as a result of being discriminated. Du Bois supported communism but always looked at the interests of his people. Washington on the other hand was very interested with the white culture and ideologies but played his part in helping the blacks move away from their problems.

It is evident that the two leaders are remarkable and both have played a great role in delivering the African Americans from captivity under the hands of the whites. Although there are some similarities between the two leaders, the differences seem to be more due to the approach they took in their leadership efforts. All in all, they were able to achieve their objectives as leaders.

Du Bois William Edward Burghardt. The Souls of Black Folk (An African American Heritage Book). Radford, VA: Wilder Publications, 2008.

Washington Taliaferro Booker. Up from Slavery: An Autobiography . Rockville, MD: Wild side Press LLC, 2007.

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IvyPanda . 2020. "Compare and Contrast: W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington." June 5, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/web-du-bois-and-booker-t-washington-comparison/.

1. IvyPanda . "Compare and Contrast: W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington." June 5, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/web-du-bois-and-booker-t-washington-comparison/.

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The Great Debate: Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Du Bois

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This timeline reflects the founding of some of the world’s oldest historically Black colleges and universities, otherwise known as HBCUs. In 1867, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Alabama State University, Barber-Scotia College, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Saint Augustine’s University and Talladega College were founded in addition to Morgan State University, Howard University, and Morehouse College

By Jessica Dortch AFRO Production Editor

When you think about influential Black intellectuals in history, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois are among the first names that come to mind. Both men are pioneers in their own right as they paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement, but their differing ideologies were arguably more controversial than Martin vs. Malcolm. 

Both men wanted the same thing: socioeconomic equality for Blacks in America, but based on their experiences, they formed two contrasting opinions on how to get there. In the beginning, DuBois supported Washington’s theories but later became one of his biggest critics. 

Booker Taliaferro Washington was a mulatto born into slavery in Virginia in 1856. His father was a White man, who he never knew, and his mother was an African woman, who, once emancipated, moved her family to West Virginia. Washington later returned to Virginia to attend Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, now Hampton University. 

Booker T. Washington, left, and W.E.B. Du Bois, right, were two intellectual Black Americans who had differing aspirations for their people in the early 20th Century. (AFRO Archive Photo)

It was there, in the South, that we can assume Washington’s beliefs about the road to equality began to form. At Hampton, Washington was taught working skills that we commonly refer to today as “trades,” that were considered to be practical crafts that would make him a viable and valuable citizen in society. 

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born in 1868 as a free man in Massachusetts. He lived in a predominantly White neighborhood and attended predominantly White schools. His brilliance was noticeable, even as a child, and led him to excelling in his studies in high school, then on to Fisk University and Harvard College. Du Bois continued his studies abroad in Germany at the University of Berlin before returning to the United States to become the first African American to receive a PhD from Harvard University. It is also a little known fact, even to Baltimoreans, that Du Bois settled in Baltimore’s own Morgan Park community for nearly two decades with his family. 

Du Bois’ exposure to an education comparable to that of Whites’ helped him realize that equality by means of education is a priority. This led him to believe that a group of intellectual Blacks, which he dubbed “the talented tenth,” would rise and lead the masses.

In the book W.E.B. Du Bois: Black Radical Democrat , Manning Marable explains the social aspect of Du Bois’ philosophy, “If negroes were to be the central actors in the making of a new racial history, the problem of racism must therefore be analyzed first and foremost from a Black perspective, employing a language and cultural style that resonated with African Americans. Whites could be observers and occasional participants in this new conversation about race, but they would not dictate the terms of discourse.” 

Washington and Du Bois were no strangers to racism and segregation, experiencing the impact in their lives at every level, and both men expressed their knowledge of the plight of Blacks in America by writing and publishing and establishing institutions dedicated to helping Blacks thrive. 

Both men acquired skills along the way that distinguished them among Blacks and Whites alike, and they both placed an emphasis on education but focused their efforts on different aspects relating to societal contributions. Du Bois challenged the social aspect of racism, urging Blacks to fight for the same civil rights and liberties as Whites, while Washington encouraged Blacks to accept their current state for the time being, while they work to build wealth and communities for themselves, ultimately earning the respect of their White counterparts. 

Du Bois’ methods were seen as radical to southern Blacks, while Washington’s approach received backlash from northern Blacks accusing him of being a “sell out,” that furthered the White agenda.  

In the book “Negro Thought in America, 1880-1915: Racial Ideologies in the Age of Booker T. Washington,” August Meier writes “At no time were Booker T. Washington’s policies favored by all negroes. Opposition existed from the time of the Atlanta Address, became more marked after 1900 and culminated in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. (p. 171)” 

The pair’s goal of uplifting the Black community couldn’t be more clear, but could it be that their personal experiences shaped their outlook on the solution to the “Negro problem?” Could it be that as a free northern Black man, Du Bois’ upbringing helped him understand the ways of Whites which enlightened him to the ways in which he could advance the lives of colored people? Could it be that as an ex-slave, Washington saw more value in unifying Blacks by building communities and creating wealth rather than wrestling with the slow hand of change? 

Maybe it was a good thing that Blacks didn’t completely agree with either side. In this case, Washington and Du Bois challenged the status quo and got people thinking and discussing the best way for Blacks to achieve equality at a time when 40 acres and a mule seemed like a good deal.

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Structured academic debate: booker t. washington and w.e.b dubois.

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Common Core Standards

Purpose and Overview

The speeches, writings and accomplishments of Booker T. Washington’s and W.E.B. Du Bois encapsulated two very different approaches to racial advancement, race relations and education.   Within their arguments are controversies that continue today: Economic Prosperity vs. Political Rights, Vocational Education vs. Liberal Arts, Separatism vs. Integration, Patience vs. Action, Compromise vs. Full Demand.

Through the study of speeches, and other primary documents students will identify and understand the differing positions of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois on the following topics: Black Advancement, Race relations, and Education .   After teacher presents initial background information on Biography, Vocabulary and Concepts , students will work in teams engaging in a Structured Academic Controversy— engaging in collaborative discussion, building consensus and formulating their own viewpoints.   In a follow-up writing assignment students will express their own position in either a Persuasive Essay or a Synthesis Essay.  

Persuasive Essay  

PROMPT: At the turn of the twentieth century which leader’s position represented the best hope for Progress? Include their strategies for Black Advancement, plan for Education and approach to Race Relations in your essay.  

Synthesis Essay

PROMPT: If you could design a plan at the turn of the twentieth century, representing the best strategy for change, educational progress and race relations, what ideas from each leader’s speeches and writings would you include?   Which ideas do you feel are not conducive to progress?  

Resources For Lesson

Day 1 and 2: Biography and Key Terms

Students will watch the 3-4 minute biographic videos snapshots of and BOOKER T. WASHINGTON and W.E.B. DU BOIS on www.Biography.com .   (Go to the that URL and enter each in the search bar.) These video snapshots are excellent entry points because they show archival photographs of the leaders in their era and because they also cover the key phrases and concepts associated with these leaders and this debate.   Students should copy down key terms or be given a handout with these key terms below.   They should be instructed to listen for the terms in the videos.   Those terms not stated in the video will be covered in the class discussion and readings. Key Terms BOOKER T. WASHINGTON Accommodation Industrial Education Compromise Material Prosperity   Self-Help W.E.B. DU BOIS   Talented Tenth Civil, Social and Political Rights Manhood Niagara Movement Activism   Activity: Working in pairs or teams, students posit preliminary definitions of terms based on prior knowledge.   Later, as a whole class, in a debriefing activity teacher will give additional information, refining student’s understanding of these terms, some of terms, such “Talented Tenth” or “Accommodationism” which cannot be adequately understood without background information from teacher and readings.   Independent Reading: (In-Class, Homework or Lab time) Teacher may choose to print handouts, or assign in a computer lab or as homework.   Students should take notes or annotate (“talk to the text”) the following Blackpast.org articles: Booker T. Washington    W.E.B. Du Bois   Tuskegee University    The Niagara Movement   After readings, teacher leads students through short whole class debriefing, including revisiting understandings of key vocabulary. Teacher asks: what additional things did you learn about the life and ideas of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois in the readings from Blackpast.org?   How have the readings changed your understanding of some of the key vocabulary terms?  

Day 3: Introduction to the Speeches of Booker T. Washington  

Before students begin independent and team textual analysis of speeches, the teacher will model the textual analysis of a primary document by looking at selected representative quotations and sections of speeches from each leader.   Booker T. Washington: Atlanta Compromise Teacher will lead entire class through three quotes from the Atlanta Compromise.   The student should have the quotes in front of them.     The Atlanta Compromise Speech   Quote #1: Occasion, Audience and Tone I but convey to you, Mr. President and Directors, the sentiment of the masses of my race, when I say that in no way have the value and manhood of the American Negro been more fittingly and generously recognized, than by the managers of this magnificent Exposition at every stage of its progress. With this quote the teacher can give background information and establish the occasion and audience for Washington’s speech— the sponsors and attendees of the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition.   Then students should be asked to identify Washington’s tone (earnest? hopeful? solicitous? obsequious?) and his purpose in taking this approach with this audience.   Quote #2: Metaphor/Analogy This second quote is the central extended metaphor of the speech, “Cast down your bucket where you are.”   (3 rd Paragraph) . The quote: “A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel… Cast it down in agriculture, in mechanics…in the professions. “ Have students surmise the meaning of the metaphor. Is it intended to apply to economic affairs? social affairs? Later in the speech Washington applies the same metaphor to the Whites of the South.   How does he see this metaphor applying to both races?   Quote #3: Comparison, Chiasmus “The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera house.” Note the juxtaposition between earning a dollar in a factory and spending it in an opera house. This hints at core distinctions between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois and provides a nice segue to move into the speech of the other. Invite students to consider what Washington does not emphasize and why his speech is called Atlanta Compromise.   At the conclusion of the discussion students should be given the full text of the Atlanta Compromise Speech and spend the rest of the period in silent reading.

Day 4: Introduction to the writing and speeches of W.E.B. DuBois

W.E.B Du Bois: The Talented Tenth The “The Talented Tenth,” was published in the The Negro Problem: A Series of Articles by Representative Negroes of To-day in 1903. Quotes #1 and 2 are taken from the first three paragraphs, (about one page) ending at “from whom proceedeth every good and powerful gift.”   Quote #3 comes later in the piece. Students should be given a copy of the abridged speech.   The Talented Tenth“ Use the Abridge Version here   The Talented Tenth, The Unabridged Version   The following quotes will be discussed: Quote Set #1: Definition, Ethos The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first of all deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst, in their own and other races. A saving remnant continually survives and persists, continually aspires, continually shows itself in thrift and ability and character. Exceptional it is to be sure, but this is its chiefest promise; it shows the capability of Negro blood, the promise of black men. From the very first it has been the educated and intelligent of the Negro people that have led and elevated the mass. Extended definition is the central method Du Bois uses in “The Talented Tenth” to develop his argument. Invite students to identify the various ways Du Bois defines the term “Talented Tenth” in these quotes (and throughout the speech). What five synonyms does he use? What does he see as the role of the Talented Tenth? How is his definition of “Talented Tenth” central to the thesis of this piece?   We see that Du Bois uses names of extraordinary men and women, who provided leadership in the dark days of slavery.   How do examples help to define the Talented Tenth and make the argument? He continues, with a longer list of exceptional Freedmen and Former Slaves. Are the names familiar to you? How may this help to make the point:   “You misjudge us because you do not know us.” In the version of “The Talented Tenth” I have abridged for this lesson   I have summarized this section and the full list of names is included.   Using the full text is an option, and students who work with the full version may also benefit from going outside the close textual analysis to find some biographical information on these leaders. This will factor in their observations of how Du Bois uses the ethos and words of “The Talented Tenth” of yore as part of his argument.   Quote #2: Organization   If this be true–and who can deny it–three tasks lay before me; first to show from the past that the Talented Tenth as they have risen among American Negroes have been worthy of leadership; secondly to show how these men may be educated and developed; and thirdly to show their relation to the Negro problem. Rather than point out this quote, ask students to find the statement that lays out the organizational structure of the essay.   Then have them rephrase it: what does he intend to do in this essay?   Quote #3: Audience and Tone Men of America, the problem is plain before you. Here is a race transplanted through the criminal foolishness of your fathers. Whether you like it or not the millions are here, and here they will remain.   Of course they are the rule, [the Negro masses—which the counter-argument would state—are mired in death, disease and crime] because a silly nation made them the rule: Because for three long centuries this people lynched Negroes who dared to be brave, raped black women who dared to be virtuous, crushed dark-hued youth who dared to be ambitious, and encouraged and made to flourish servility and lewdness and apathy. The audience should be named and the tone identified.

Day 5, 6:   Structured Academic Controversy.  

Once textual analysis of these speeches has been modeled and key concepts introduced, students are ready to embark on their own analysis of the text. These will be accomplished through a Structured Academic Controversy.   In Teaching Democracy , Walter C. Parker states, “Johnson and Johnson (1988) call the strategy Structured Academic Controversy in order to emphasize, first, the structured or scaffolded nature of the discussion and, second, the academic or subject matter controversies that at are at issue.”   (Parker, p.142) The controversy will be framed as follows: Which leader’s thinking was most conducive to progress for the African American of that time and place?   Consider each leader’s ideas about Black Advancement, Race Relations, and Education .   The considerations for consensus, will be framed as follows: It is the turn of the twentieth century. Design a plan which represents the best strategy for change, educational progress and race relations, based on ideas from each man’s speeches and writings.   Also mention which ideas from each leader you would not include and tell why.   The following readings will be given to the students: The Atlanta Compromise Speech   Address to the Harvard Alumni Dinner     The Talented Tenth The Men of Niagara A description of the process of Structured Academic Controversy can be found at  The Center for Education in Law and Democracy, 1. Students are organized into groups of four, and each group is split into two pairs. One pair in a foursome studies one side of the controversy, while the second pair studies an opposing view. Partners read the background material and identify facts and arguments that support their assigned position. They prepare to advocate the position. 2. Pairs take turns advocating their positions. Students on the other side make notes and ask questions about information they don’t understand. 3. Next, pairs reverse positions. Each pair uses their notes and what they learned from the other side to make a short presentation demonstrating their understanding of the opposing view. 4. Students leave their assigned positions and discuss the issue in their foursomes, trying to find points of agreement and disagreement among group members. Teams try to reach consensus on something; if they cannot reach consensus on any substantive aspect of the issue, they should try to reach consensus on a process they could use to resolve disagreements.   5. The class debriefs the activity as a large group, focusing on how the group worked as a team and how use of the process contributed to their understanding of the issue. Teachers may choose to have a final SAC debate or consensus presentation before the entire class.   More resources on structured academic debates can be found at these Web sites:   The Center for Education in Law and Democracy Structured Acadmic Controversy: What Should We Do? Walter Parker, “Feel Free to Change Your Mind”   Finally, the paper will be assigned to the student. (See prompts at the beginning of this lesson)   The teacher may choose one of the prompts or let the students themselves make the choice.   Notes for teachers:   Students may find Booker T. Washington’s tone and approach to race relations so compromising that they will discount him. In comparison Du Bois’s, “To the Men of Niagara” will seem much more contemporary. I recommend teachers guide students by giving “a handicap”(as in a game of golf) to Washington. In the argument for prioritizing economic prosperity and vocational education over civil rights and the education of the whole person, the side that includes a job is compelling.   Or put this way– While DuBois argued that man cannot live by bread alone, Washington argued that the first rung of the hierarchy is bread, and first and foremost, this foundation must be laid.   Another way to give Washington’s side a fair shake with contemporary students is in presenting the biographical and historical aspects of this lesson, as his effectiveness is undeniable.     A textual analysis alone cannot show the scale of his accomplishments, his success in fundraising, and the benefits he reaped for his people.     Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Tony Renouard, Nathan Hale High School, for giving me the idea for this lesson.  

Contributor: Lee Micklin,  

Bothell High School, Bothell, Washington

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Booker T. Washington

By: History.com Editors

Updated: December 18, 2023 | Original: October 29, 2009

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was born into slavery and rose to become a leading African American intellectual of the 19 century, founding Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (Now Tuskegee University) in 1881 and the National Negro Business League two decades later. Washington advised Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. His infamous conflicts with Black leaders like W. E. B. Du Bois over segregation caused a stir, but today, he is remembered as the most influential African American speaker of his time.

Booker T. Washington’s Parents and Early Life

Booker Taliaferro Washington was born on April 5, 1856 in a hut in Franklin County, Virginia . His mother was a cook for the plantation’s owner. His father, a white man, was unknown to Washington. At the close of the Civil War , all the enslaved people owned by James and Elizabeth Burroughs—including 9-year-old Booker, his siblings, and his mother—were freed. Jane moved her family to Malden, West Virginia. Soon after, she married Washington Ferguson, a free Black man.

Booker T. Washington’s Education

In Malden, Washington was only allowed to go to school after working from 4-9 AM each morning in a local salt works before class. It was at a second job in a local coalmine where he first heard two fellow workers discuss the Hampton Institute, a school for formerly enslaved people in southeastern Virginia founded in 1868 by Brigadier General Samuel Chapman. Chapman had been a leader of Black troops for the Union during the Civil War and was dedicated to improving educational opportunities for African Americans.

In 1872, Washington walked the 500 miles to Hampton, where he was an excellent student and received high grades. He went on to study at Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C., but had so impressed Chapman that he was invited to return to Hampton as a teacher in 1879. It was Chapman who would refer Washington for a role as principal of a new school for African Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama : The Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, today’s Tuskegee University. Washington assumed the role in 1881 at age 25 and would work at The Tuskegee Institute until his death in 1915.

It was Washington who hired George Washington Carver to teach agriculture at Tuskegee in 1896. Carver would go on to be a celebrated figure in Black history in his own right, making huge advances in botany and farming technology.

Booker T. Washington Beliefs And Rivalry with W.E.B. Du Bois

Life in the post- Reconstruction era South was challenging for Black people. Discrimination was rife in the age of Jim Crow Laws . Exercising the right to vote under the 15 Amendment was dangerous, and access to jobs and education was severely limited. With the dawn of the Ku Klux Klan , the threat of retaliatory violence for advocating for civil rights was real.

In perhaps his most famous speech, given on September 18, 1895, Washington told a majority white audience in Atlanta that the way forward for African Americans was self-improvement through an attempt to “dignify and glorify common labor.” He felt it was better to remain separate from whites than to attempt desegregation as long as whites granted their Black countrymen and women access to economic progress, education, and justice under U.S. courts:

"The wisest of my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremest folly and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than artificial forcing. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than to spend a dollar in an opera house."

His speech was sharply criticized by W.E.B. Du Bois , who repudiated what he called “The Atlanta Compromise” in a chapter of his famous 1903 book, “The Souls of Black Folk.” Opposition to Washington’s views on race inspired the Niagara Movement (1905-1909). Du Bois would go on to found the NAACP in 1909.

Because of Washington’s outsized stature in the Black community, dissenting views were strongly squashed. Du Bois and others criticized Washington’s harsh treatment of rival Black newspapers and Black thinkers who dared to challenge his opinions and authority.

Books By Booker T. Washington

Washington, a famed public speaker known for his sense of humor , was also the author of five books:

· “The Story of My Life and Work” (1900)

· “Up From Slavery” (1901)

· “The Story of the Negro: The Rise of the Race from Slavery” (1909)

· “My Larger Education” (1911)

· “The Man Farthest Down” (1912)

Booker T. Washington: First African American in the White House

Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be invited to the White House in 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt invited him to dine with him. It caused a huge uproar among white Americans—especially in the Jim Crow South—and in the press, and came on the heels of the publication of his autobiography, “Up From Slavery.” But Roosevelt saw Washington as a brilliant advisor on racial matters, a practice his successor, President William Howard Taft , continued.

Booker T. Washington Death And Legacy

Booker T. Washington’s legacy is complex. While he lived through an epic sea change in the lives of African Americans, his public views supporting segregation seem outdated today. His emphasis on economic self-determination over political and civil rights fell out of favor as the views of his largest critic, W.E.B. Du Bois, took root and inspired the civil rights movement . We now know that Washington secretly financed court cases that challenged segregation and wrote letters in code to defend against lynch mobs. His work in the field of education helped give access to new hope for thousands of African Americans.

By 1913, at the dawn of the administration of Woodrow Wilson , Washington had largely fallen out of favor. He remained at the Tuskegee Institute until congestive heart failure ended his life on November 14, 1915. He was 59.

Washington left behind a vastly improved Tuskegee Institute with over 1,500 students, a faculty of 200 and an endowment of nearly $2 million to continue to carry on its work.

Booker T. Washington. Biography.com The Debate Between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Frontline . Jim Crow Stories: Booker T. Washington. Thirteen.org. Booker T. Washington. Britannica .

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Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois

How it works

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois are two of the most vital and persuasive African Americans of the late 19th century, playing critical roles in the civil rights battle. The goal of this paper is to compare and contrast Booker. T Washington and W.E.B DuBois and why I side with Washington’s perspective. In order to paint a picture of these great men, I must compare and contrast the approaches of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois.

Washington encouraged blacks to acknowledge segregation and concentrate on building themselves up through difficult work. He believed in instruction within the mechanical and cultivating abilities and the development in the areas of persistence and endeavor. He wanted to win the regard of whites and have the African-Americans acknowledged and accepted into regular society. W.E.B DuBois believed that individuals of African descent should come together and deal with racism. Forming with like-minded individuals, Du Bois founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or NAACP. He believed African Americans should finish their education; he didn’t want them to have to fight or be prejudiced.

Washington had confidence that going to college and getting an education would be essential for a better future. He was an instructor and the first leader at Tuskegee University in Alabama.. Washington also believed that African Americans should understand important concepts of financial well-being. He understood how to set positive goals for African Americans in order to withstand the bigotry taking place in the 1800s. W.E.B DuBois’s goal was to end racism against all African Americans by requesting equal status with Caucasians… Du Bois requested that African Americans be equal to whites, creating the concept of “the talented tenth.” The duty of African Americans was to reach their own personal goals while helping others do the same; he wanted political equity for all races.

Booker T. Washington focused on education for genuine life occupations and not inquiring balance from the whites. His main goal was getting offered assistance from Caucasians. s W.E.B DuBois used a policy of gradualism. In order for African Americans to be able to get places in life, they had to develop intelligence about the political challenges facing African Americans… He also believed that they should not have to deal with separation. The main thing difference between Washington and Du Bois was that Washington believed equality between white and blacks would occur gradually, while Du Bois wanted immediate equality. Both of them agreed that there should be equal rights among all races, and education was the means to that goal.

While I acknowledge the many similarities between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois, I find myself siding with Washington. He wanted African Americans to give their all no matter what and promoted the importance of education. Washington accomplished a great deal during his time by pushing himself and developing skills to achieve his accomplishments while helping others. He left a major impact, and to this day, Washington continues to be an inspiration to others.

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Educating to Transform Society: The Washington-DuBois Debate

The year was 1895. Two momentous events occurred that year that would lead to a heated rivalry between Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois. The first event was the death of Frederick Douglass on February 20 th of that year. He was the leading black figure of the time, speaking and writing with a level of rhetorical polish that revealed a great mind. Douglass was a towering figure in the social and political environment during the close of the 19 th century. As such, his death called forth a new voice that would champion the cause of black suffrage.

The second event came later that year on September 18 th . Booker T. Washington gave a speech at the Atlanta Exposition. In this speech, presented before a predominantly white audience, laid out an educational plan that would aim at the advancement of blacks in vocational or industrial trades. Washington first advised “the friends of my race” to make “friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded.” ( Washington, “Address” 18 Sept. 1895 ) His was a message of reconciliation, spoken deep in the South, sounded the right note for those in attendance. The worry was that racial tensions would erupt in Atlanta, since Georgia had been adopting Jim Crow laws during the 1890s. It was only the following May that the Plessy v. Ferguson decision was made in the Supreme Court, upholding “separate but equal” segregation in the South.

What Washington meant by “making friends in every manly way” he immediately spells out in his speech:

“Our greatest danger is that in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands, and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labour, and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial and the substantial, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful. No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.” Booker T. Washington, “ Address by Booker T. Washington “

(For teachers interested in investigating primary sources, you can access the manuscript of the speech at this Georgia Historical Society webpage and listen to an audio recording Washington made in 1908 of excerpts from his speech available at this Library of Congress webpage .)

The Atlanta Compromise

For Washington, the strategy to make black lives better is to forgo such things as campaigning for government positions or contending for positions in the ivory tower of colleges and universities. It is a strategy that makes sense. Catch the wave of the booming industrial economy in the South and ride that wave to a better future. Washington’s speech became known as the “Atlanta Compromise” in part due to the cooperative program he laid out, but also because it caught the industrial wave, but also the wave of Jim Crow laws and segregationism.

Despite the rivalry that soon emerged between Washington and W. E. B. DuBois, the Atlanta speech was at first celebrated by DuBois. In a brief letter dated 24 th September of 1895, DuBois writes:

“Let me heartily congratulate you upon your phenomenal success at Atlanta—it was a word fitly spoken.”

It is not altogether clear exactly what DuBois is congratulating here. Was he particularly impressed by the content of the speech or did he recognize the emergence of a new leader to take up the mantle of Douglass? DuBois was himself an emerging leader although he was over a decade younger than Washington. Perhaps the heart of DuBois’ message to Washington centers less on the content of what was spoken and more on DuBois’s recognition of the role Washington could play as the heir to Douglass. No matter how we read the praise DuBois sends to Washington, it did not take long for DuBois to reconsider his position on black education and to challenge the very message of the “Atlanta Compromise.”

A Study in Contrasts

Washington and DuBois could not have been more different, and perhaps that accounts for the difference in their perspectives on education. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on a plantation in Virginia. He was nearly ten when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, about which he writes that “some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper—the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading we were told that we were all free, and could go when and where we pleased.” ( Up from Slavery 20-21 ) As a freedman, Washington worked in the coals mines while attending Hampton Institute. At the age of 25, Washington was appointed as principal to what is now called Tuskegee University in Alabama. Tuskagee was a place where Washington could put into practice his “head, hearts, and hands” approach so that students were trained “to return to the plantation districts and show the people there how to put new energy and new ideas into farming as well as into the intellectual and moral and religious life of the people.” ( Up from Slavery 160 ).

DuBois, on the other hand, was born into a free black family in Massachusetts, attending integrated schools during his childhood. He went to Fisk University where he encountered racism and segregation for the first time. After Fisk he went on to earn another bachelor’s degree from Harvard and then completed graduate work at the University of Berlin. He returned to the States and became the first black to earn a PhD from Harvard. DuBois was offered a position at Tuskagee, which would have seen him working alongside Washington, but instead took a position at Wilberforce University in Ohio. Later he taught at Atlanta University and developed a prominent voice domestically and internationally in scientific sociology. It is no surprise, then, that, as an academic tour de force himself, DuBois would champion a very different educational vision than Washington. He focused on the liberal arts with a view to raising up leaders within the black community who would be able to take up prominent positions in politics and business to enact real change in society.

The Talented Tenth

The thesis DuBois developed took on different nuances over time. In an essay entitled “The Talented Tenth,” DuBois lays out his philosophical conviction that the object of education must be the formation of the person rather than money-making or technical skill.

“Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of schools—intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to it—this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which must underlie true life.” W. E. B. Du Bois, “ The Talented Tenth ,” 33-34.

He goes on to demonstrate that through the generations leaders rose up even during slavery to provide leadership that ultimately led to emancipation. These were exceptional people, which proves his point that the training of exceptional leaders is what will continue to lead equality of the races. DuBois lays out the program of study for students at his Atlanta University.

“Here students from the grammar grades, after a three years’ high school course, take a college course of 136 weeks. One-fourth of this time is given to Latin and Greek; one-fifth, to English and modern languages; one-sixth, to history and social science; one-seventh, to natural science; one-eighth to mathematics, and one-eighth to philosophy and pedagogy.” W. E. B. Du Bois, “ The Talented Tenth ,” 49.

This sounds very much like the liberal arts education we have promoted in the classical Christian educational renewal movement . From DuBois’ perspective, it is the liberal arts that will train up the next generation of black leaders who will transform society.

Not So Different

Now the delineation of these two educational programs has thus far been expressed in stark terms. Washington’s “Atlanta Compromise” emphasizes industrial training while DuBois insists on a liberal arts education for the “Talented Tenth.” It is all too easy to draw lines between these pedagogical models in hindsight. Yet there are many ways in which we may see overlap between these two. Yes, the divide between DuBois and Washington was exacerbated by the essay DuBois wrote in The Souls of Black Folk entitled “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others” in which he was critical of Washington’s autobiography Up from Slavery . However, DuBois later gave perspective to exactly what was at the heart of their disagreement. It was not the educational program, per se, but the trust that dutiful, diligent work would lead to acceptance of a black work ethic among whites in the South. He writes:

“I realized the need for what Washington was doing. Yet it seemed to me he was giving up essential ground that would be hard to win back. I don’t think Washington saw this until the last years of his life. He kept hoping. But before he died he must have known that he and his hopes had been rejected and that he had, without so intending, helped make stronger — and more fiercely defended — a separation and rejection that made a mockery of all he had hoped and dreamed.” “W.E.B. DuBois,” The Atlantic Monthly , Nov. 1965

The hopes and dreams of Washington were dashed not because of a blind faith in his educational program, but in his faith that respectable work would be universally praised by a watching world. If we were solely to look at the educational results in the lives of the individual students, a different perspective emerges. Creating educational programs with the aim of making radical changes in society misplace the actual educational aim. Developing human beings as whole persons is a more fundamental aim, and we are probably safe in saying the programs developed by both Washington and DuBois met this aim.

Moral Formation

My claim that Washington and DuBois are not so different rests not in the details of their program of study, but in the importance both men placed in the moral formation of students. Washington’s technical education placed emphasis on the moral and religious aspects of educations.

“We wanted to give them such an education as would fit a large proportion of them to be teachers, and at the same time cause them to return to the plantation districts and show the people there how to put new energy and new ideas into farming, as well as into the intellectual and moral and religious life of the people.” Up from Slavery 160

We get a similar hint at moral and spiritual development in The Souls of Black Folk . For instance, DuBois writes, “sometime, somewhere, men will judge men by their souls and not by their skin.” ( The Souls of Black Folk 261 ) In his essay “The Talented Tenth,” he delineates two main objectives for education in a post-emancipation society:

“If then we start out to train an ignorant and unskilled people with a heritage of bad habits, our system of training must set before itself two great aims the one dealing with knowledge and character, the other part seeking to give the child the technical knowledge necessary for him to earn a living under the present circumstances.” “ Talented Tenth ” 58

Although DuBois was critical of Washington’s compromise, we see here a recognition that educated people must make a living. Yet, the first of the two great aims is knowledge and character. On even a cursory reading of DuBois, one is struck by his thorough knowledge of the Western canon, or what we might call the traditional liberal arts . So by “knowledge” we are not talking about a mastery of facts and figures prominent in an industrial age, but of the long tradition of great authors and ideas. This is knowledge that DuBois sees as transcending racial divide, even though it has come to be thought of as a collection of dead white men’s thoughts. Indeed, DuBois sees this long tradition as the foundation for character and creating a moral society.

So, where we find overlap in the Washington-DuBois debate is on this concept of morality. And it is on this concept we should give serious consideration to the ideas both men propound. These two men were seeking a Renaissance in their time, and in many ways they were the architects of a flowering of black culture. I am quick to add that their reflections on education are instructive not only for a minority culture, but promote global considerations that are crucial for us to get right in our current educational renewal movement.

Ideas not Ideology

Washington and DuBois both seek to promote the great society; one in which racial lines are erased and mutual respect leads to intellectual, moral and technological advance. Both men sought to utilize great ideas as a means of train young men and women. Great ideas are not the domain of one class, sect, race or people. They challenge us and through that challenge transform us through what we might call the dialectical process. We weight different ideas, discerning and discriminating, in order to arrive at a synthesis. Great ideas generate new ideas, transforming not only our minds but also our characters.

Contrast this with ideology . An ideology is a system of ideals often accepted uncritically and unquestioningly. Our current political and social landscape is rife with conflicting ideologies. The impact of the conflict of ideologies is that camps – whether to the right or to the left – attempt to commandeer institutions, whether that be media, government or schools. No longer is our society marked by discourse, dialogue and debate. Instead, ideology forces compliance with a set of preformed beliefs. Education becomes a method of indoctrination. Now one must be careful here, because there are sets of true propositions enfolded in these ideologies. The problem is that nothing is up for debate. Questioning the ideology is the same as denial of the ideology, and one becomes excommunicated from the “group think.”

As an educational renewal movement, there is a temptation to offer a counter set of agendas. “Okay, fine,” we might say, “the public schools are promoting the agenda of gender fluidity, then we’ll promote the alternative agenda.” I’m struck, however, that this was not the strategy of DuBois or Washington. Despite racism and segregation, they sought to train students in intellectual and moral skills that would enable them to enter into the discourse of the greater society. Classical Christian schools must avoid the allure of ideological agenda and remain true to training students in the logic and rhetoric that will prepare our graduates to take up nuances positions and speak persuasively from a place of well-developed convictions.

Hand, Head, and Heart

The classical Christian school movement might be more inclined towards the DuBois educational program. He, after all, promotes the very same liberal arts tradition we call home. However, DuBois himself saw the liability of creating an elite class that becomes self-perpetuating; enamored of its own self-importance rather than utilizing its position to raise all of society. Thus, a Washington-DuBois synthesis is well worthy of consideration.

The phrase “hand, head, and heart” comes from Washington. ( Up from Slavery 85 ) This is a valuable triad to frame a fully embodied philosophy of education. I really like this phrasing pulled from the website of the Ecclesial Schools Initiative , “A classical education beckons learners toward goodness, truth, and beauty, wherever it may be found, integrating faith into all areas of learning, and helping students acquire the habits of heart, body, and mind that are essential for living a flourishing human life.” Kevin Clark, founder of the Ecclesial Schools Initiative, is one of the authors—along with Ravi Jain—of The Liberal Arts Tradition ( reviewed here ). Technical skill is recognized in this book as a “wholly legitimate pursuit.” In other words, we cannot be so singularly focused on the intellectual and moral development of our students that we leave no room for skills development. Clark and Jain write:

“The liberal arts are only intended to be the tools of learning to be used in all other studies. The three branches of philosophy and, in addition, theology, then contain the integrated tapestry of all other knowledge as represented by the innumerable particular sciences, such as biology, ethics, economics, and chemistry. Moreover, professional degrees, to be acquired later, recognize that other skills (arts) are needed for one’s vocation.” Clark and Jain, The Liberal Arts Tradition , 7

To this might be added apprenticeship in a trade as opposed to professional degrees. More and more the collegiate landscape has become overly expensive relative to its waning value due to the ideological agendas present in higher education. Graduates from classical Christian schools might be better placed in trade apprenticeships or military service. All of this to say that the liberal arts are a necessary element in learning the knowledge and character required to live a flourishing life. That life, though, needs to be embodied in vocations that support and promote flourishing. I highly recommend reading through Jason’s article “ Apprenticeship in the Arts ” where he explores professions and trades in light of Chris Hall’s Common Arts Education .

Educational Renewal in Light of 1895

The momentous occasion of Washington’s “Atlanta Speech” in 1895 marks a period of reflection and debate over education, particularly between Washington and DuBois. It is striking to note that 1895 was also the year when the first professional American football match was played (Sept. 3), the first automobile race occurred (Nov. 28), and the first moving picture film was shown (Dec. 28). When we consider how much society has been transformed by the onset of these modern artifacts, we can see that a significant aspect of what Washington and DuBois were wrestling with was not just racial in nature, but also pertained to how modernism eroded conceptions of individual character and community cohesion.

The impact of modernism has left us with a society that is fractured and hurting. Hopefully by tracing the debate between Washington and DuBois, we can see lines of constructive thought that invigorate our own educational renewal movement. We have in both Washington and DuBois compatriots who are deeply concerned to cultivate virtue in students for the betterment of society. If Up from Slavery , The Souls of Black Folk or “The Talented Tenth” are not yet in your curriculum, I highly recommend their adoption. Perhaps this review of their work has inspired you to consider ways to broaden your understanding of the outcomes for classical Christian education. Perhaps our students, trained in the liberal arts, are exactly what our society needs to lead us out of our current political catastrophe. Perhaps our students, educated holistically in hand, heart and head, will embody the lives of flourishing that is the true outcome of a good education.

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One comment

Phenomenal article.

To your point about trade apprenticeships and military service: Many of my clients are car dealerships. They are some of the most desegregated places in our society. If you have figured out how to create wealth, you are welcomed, regardless of race, nationality, creed, gender, orientation or educational background. Surely Washington would have appreciated that.

If modern schools and bureaucracies oppose the classical renewal, perhaps enlightened private employers are our best bet. My dream is for businesses to offer the Western Tradition as part of on-the-job training. (Which better encourages empathy: a one-off video, or discussing Priam appealing to Achilles for his son’s body?) Employers are desperate for staff who can actually THINK. Employees are desperate for meaning. What the Renaissance offers helps everyone.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Web Dubois — Compare and Contrast the Writings of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois

Compare and Contrast The Writings of Booker T. Washington and W.e.b. Dubois

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Published: Jan 29, 2024

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Table of contents

Background information on booker t. washington, key writings and ideas of booker t. washington, background information on w.e.b. dubois, key writings and ideas of w.e.b. dubois, comparison of the writings and ideas of washington and dubois, analysis of the impact and effectiveness of their writings.

• "Booker T. Washington." History.com, A&E Television Networks, 4 Mar. 2010, www.history.com/topics/black-history/booker-t-washington.
• "W.E.B. Du Bois." Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 16 April 2019, www.biography.com/scholar/web-du-bois.

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