Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B Dubois
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois were 2 of the greatest post - Civil War black activists. However, they had different opinions on how their race should advance.
Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in the Confederate state of Virginia. He wanted the talents of all black people to stand out, so he focused of Industrial Education and vocational training. He believed in "separate but equal" and "Interracial Harmony through separation". He did menial work when he was young and he was good at it. He went to Hampton Institute, another industrial school, and did not get a good Primary Education. He believed that because Blacks will prove to be good workers, they will gradually earn the respect and the equality from whites, so he did not "fight" for equality. In short, Booker T. Washington wanted Practical Education.
W.E.B Dubois
W.E.B Dubois' childhood was very different from Booker T. Washington. He was born a free man in Massachusetts, and throughout his primary education, he achieved exceptionally good grades, and finished High School at only 16 years old. He then went on to study in Berlin, then Harvard University. He was also the first ever Black to gain a PhD at Harvard. He believed that there was a "talented tenth" of the black population that could uphold the entire race. He pointed out that 'Interracial Harmony through separation' was a paradox, and that equality had to be fought for. In short, W.E.B Dubois focused on Intellectual Education.