Booker vs. Du Bois

Washington is all about black rights but not RIGHT now. In the Atlanta Exposition he’s basically telling the everyone in the country that ‘No, don’t make us equal, we don’t need nor want to be on the same ‘level’ as you.’ It almost seems as though he is contradicting himself. He wants equal rights but he wants his race to earn it because forcing them to blend, to be given these rights, would make them artificial and not worth it. He wants them to WAIT for something that they shouldn’t have to wait for. “I believe it is the duty of the Negro…to deport himself modestly in regard to political claims, depending upon the slow but sure influences that proceed from the possession of property, intelligence, and high character for the full recognition of his political rights” (p.767-68) It’s almost to the point of him ignoring everything but making money for the black people. How is that not greedy?

Du Bois sends all his respect to Washington but disagrees in namely all of his beliefs. He clearly states “…men feel in conscience bound to ask of this nation three things: 1. The right to vote 2. Civic equality 3. The education of youth according to ability” Isn’t that what whites get from this country from the moment they are born? Why should the blacks feel as though they shouldn’t get the same treatment due to the pigmentation of their skin? It’s not as though the black people as a whole expect an immediate and abrupt change to the way of life. So really, they see Washington’s point that it’ll be eventual; they want it to happen sooner rather than the later Washington speaks of.

What happens between the two texts is that Du Bois is arguing with a dead guy. I know he’s not speaking directly to Washington but he gets awfully close. He wrote this whole article based on Booker’s life, so in essence, he’s arguing with him but it isn’t disrespectful. They are agreeing to disagree because no one can continue the argument. Booker is lying in his grave so that right there causes the point to be moot between the two of them. What it does do on Du Bois part is bring to light that perhaps Washington was wrong after all and it starts a whole new kind of rebellion. His followers, Bookers that is, get a whole new point of view of the man they respected and followed his beliefs.