Tentative Answer: W.E.B DuBois

Booker T. Washington urged young African-Americans to become trained in the skills which would make them useful and desirable members of the broader community. Why, and how does DuBois dispute Washington’s proposal?

In The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B DuBois argues for African Americans to pursue political action higher education, especially pertaining to the African Americans in the South. W.E.B DuBois argues that suffrage is necessary and important because it will lead to representation and recognition of African Americans as Americans. With this, there will be active participation and involvement such that African Americans will be integrated into society. The push for higher learning is to provide the opportunity for education besides the typical technical education analogous to slave labor. DuBois wanted to better the African American community and at the same time integrate them into American society, which he thought would be accomplished through higher education and suffrage.

Booker T. Washington differs because he believes that the key to rising the African American community is through training in technical skills. For Booker T. Washington, it was more important that the African Americans establish themselves economically, in now having a skill that can be applicable to jobs, and to make their new position in American society intimidating. DuBois’ proposal for suffrage and higher education was a radical idea that could have scared the American public, who is coming to terms with the new people they will have to accept as citizens. Where Booker T. Washington argues for a gradual introduction of African Americans to American society, W.E.B. DuBois offers it as the biggest priority