Africian American Writers essays

Africian American Writers essays Booker T. Washington and William DuBois, both African American men, have enlightened the literary world with their brilliant works. Booker T. Washington spent his childhood as a slave with no formal education. After overcoming much diversity, he became a national spokesman and writer advocating equality for African Americans. On the contrary, William DuBois, although his ideas and writings were very similar to Washingtons, took a more radical approach to improving the lives of African American men and women. Although DuBois and Washington had similar ideas, the methods to which they used to achieve successful implementation of these ideas differed greatly. Washingtons famous Atlanta Exposition Address indirectly stated that African Americans could survive only through submission. Through his speech, Washington seems to accept or condone slavery and the prejudices and racial inferiorities that stem from it. By doing so, he seeks to eventually increase African Americans civil rights by way of compromise. He advocates peaceful cooperation by the African Americans and blending of the races. Washington believed that through these peaceful methods and initial acceptance of injustice by the African Americans that they, African Americans, will benefit in the long run. On the contrary, William DuBois proved to be a bolder, less passive advocate of equality for African Americans. Through his writings, DuBois expressed his extreme dislike of the nations treatment of African Americans. In The Souls of Black Folk, DuBois criticizes Washington for his laid-back attitude and the way he compromised justice for African American people on the account of cooperation. Although the respect he felt towards Washington is evident, DuBois felt that Washington ...practically accepts the alleged inferiority of the Negro races (724). DuBois recognizes Mr. Washingtons ...invaluable service in counseling patie...