W.E.B. Du Bois SOAPSTone

* Subject * In this text, W.E.B. Du Bois analyzes Booker T. Washington’s views on race in America. Du Bois acknowledges many of Washington’s accomplishments, such as how Washington began Tuskegee University and how Washington could cater to both the Northerners and the Southerners. On the contrary to praising him, Du Bois also subtly criticizes how Washington approaches dealing with racism. Washington believes that Blacks should be submissive rather than challenge the White people. Washington asks the Blacks to give up three things, political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of Negro youth. Du Bois then goes on to show the results of Washington’s ideals, such as the disenfranchisement of the Negro, civil inferiority of the Negro, and the withdrawal of aid from Negro institutions. Du bois debates that if these factors continue to be present, African Americans will not be able to make political or economic progress, and problems with race will never resolve. He also says that the Blacks cannot completely blame the South for what they have done in the past, being that some Southerners in the present day are not bad people. Du Bois encourages the Black people to stand up for their rights. Just because Washington is a well-know figure and leader in the Black community, African Americans should not let Whites devalue their race. Blacks should work hard to bring up their name, not sit aside and be subservient to the Whites. * Occasion * This text came from the time (1903) and the place that it did because of all of the discussion over race and equality in America. Du Bois wrote this in response to Washington’s “compromise” over how Blacks and Whites should coexist. In addition, during this time the economy was changing dramatically, and the topic of how Blacks and Whites should stand was being brought