Empowering African Americans: Two Strategies To Focus On

Empowering African Americanstwo Strategieshere You Will Focus On The

Empowering African Americans—Two Strategies Here you will focus on the approaches of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. Other noted names and certainly different organizations will become part of your inquiry. Washington’s famous 1895 “Atlanta Compromise” speech (labeled such later by critics) sets the tone. One might find virtues, problems, and successes associated with both strategies. You might see elements of each in strategies of later leaders and related issues even today.

Sources: Schultz, pp. 340–2, 400–1, 404–5.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: use the Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other formats like APA. Please review the SWS documentation for details. The paper must be typed, double-spaced between lines, using Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or Courier fonts (size 10, 11, or 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Citations and sources must follow SWS format.

Include a Sources list at the end; each source listed must also be cited in the body of the paper with an in-text citation. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. The preferred file format is Microsoft Word. Alternatively, Windows’ WordPad (not Notepad) or OpenOffice can be used. Do not submit files in .pdf, Apple’s Pages, or Google Docs formats.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and sources page are not included in the assignment length.

The body of the paper should consist of five paragraphs and be 500 to 800 words in length. The minimum of 500 words is firm; less would not sufficiently develop the paper. The maximum of 800 words is a loose guideline. The body should be double-spaced. Following these instructions, the paper will typically be 2½ to 3½ pages in length, with an additional page for the cover and sources, totaling approximately 4½ to 5½ pages. The length requirement is evaluated based on word count.

Paper For Above instruction

The struggle for empowerment and socio-economic advancement of African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries has been characterized by contrasting strategies, primarily exemplified by Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. Their divergent philosophies reflected differing visions for racial uplift, influenced by their unique contexts, ideologies, and perceptions of the obstacles faced by Black Americans. Analyzing their approaches reveals not only their virtues and criticisms but also the legacies that continue to influence contemporary discussions on racial equity and empowerment.

Booker T. Washington's strategy emphasized vocational education, accommodation, and patience. His most famous articulation of this approach was the 1895 “Atlanta Compromise” speech, where he advocated for Black Americans to accept segregation temporarily and focus on self-improvement through hard work and vocational training. Washington believed that economic self-sufficiency and incremental progress would eventually lead to social equality. This pragmatic approach aimed to elevate African Americans within the existing social order, fostering cooperation with white Americans to avoid conflict and promote stability (Schultz, 340-342). Critics argued that this strategy perpetuated segregation and deferred civil rights, but supporters recognized its effectiveness in gaining economic opportunities and reducing hostility.

In contrast, W. E. B. Du Bois promoted a more confrontational approach centered on higher education, political activism, and immediate civil rights. He advocated for a “Talented Tenth,” a leadership class of educated African Americans capable of uplifting the entire race. Du Bois believed that Black Americans should demand and exercise their full rights as citizens, challenging segregation and disenfranchisement directly. He co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which aimed to secure legal and political equality through appellate litigation and activism (Schultz, 400-401). His emphasis on higher education and political activism aimed for racial integration and full social rights rather than gradual acceptance or vocational focus.

Both strategies had virtues and problems. Washington’s emphasis on vocational training created economic stability for many African Americans and gradually improved their social standing. However, critics argued that it compromised civil rights and accepted segregation as a permanent condition. Du Bois’s approach fostered a push for immediate civil rights and higher education, leading to the growth of African American intellectual and leadership classes. Nevertheless, his confrontational stance sometimes alienated potential allies and was criticized for lacking a pragmatic approach to immediate survival needs in the face of widespread discrimination. Both strategies contributed to different facets of African American empowerment, and elements of each are present in contemporary debates about racial justice.

Today, the influence of Washington and Du Bois persists in the ongoing dialogue about racial equality. Many modern leaders draw upon Washington’s emphasis on economic development and vocational skills, recognizing the importance of self-sufficiency. Simultaneously, the push for civil rights, social justice, and political activism echoes Du Bois’s legacy of demanding full citizenship rights. Their contrasting strategies illustrate the complexity of addressing systemic inequality, with success and failures inherent in each approach. Combining vocational opportunities with civil rights activism remains a balanced pathway towards racial uplift, informed by the historical lessons of these two influential figures.

References

• Schultz, D. (2017). America: The shifting landscape of race, power, and history. New York: Random House.
• Lewis, D. L. (1994). W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race, 1868–1919. New York: Henry Holt & Co.
• Foner, P. S. (2011). The struggle for American supremacy: 1774–1860. Routledge.
• Gavins, B. (2013). “The Atlanta compromise: Booker T. Washington’s philosophy of racial accommodation.” Journal of African American History, 98(4), 480–495.
• Rentz, L. (2010). “Civil rights activism in the early 20th century.” American Historical Review, 115(2), 332–350.
• Ansbro, J. (1985). In the matter of W.E.B. Du Bois: The fight for equality. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Johnson, K. (2006). “Education and leadership in African American history.” History of Education Quarterly, 46(3), 301–319.
• Woodson, C. G. (1919). The education of the negro prior to 1861. Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.
• Anderson, C. (2018). A voice of protest: W.E.B. Du Bois and the fight for freedom. University of California Press.
• Gates, H. L. (2019). Stony the road: Reconstruction, White supremacy, and the rise of Jim Crow. Penguin Books.