Reconstruction: Race Relations After The Civil War

DISCUSSION 1 WASHINGTON & DUBOIS
PART 1: QUESTION:
We will begin our discussion concerning race relations during the historical period now called Reconstruction – this is the time period after the Civil War. As African Americans tried to combat racism and avoid racial conflict, they clashed over strategies of accommodation and resistance. The Southern educator, author and civil rights leader, Booker T. Washington urged blacks to be industrious, to learn manual skills, to work their way up economically, and to win the respect of whites. When blacks proved their economic value, Washington explained, racism would decline. He contended that blacks and whites could
This was something both parties could buy into. “As I remember it now, the thing that was uppermost in my mind was the desire to say something that would cement the friendship of the races and bring about hearty cooperation between them.” He wasn’t asking whites to stop being prejudiced because he knew he was speaking to the wrong crowd about that, he spoke to both blacks and whites about building from the ground up and letting blacks earn their own merit. Essentially, if you work hard, good things will come to you, or as Washington put it, “Cast down your bucket where you are”. This makes the most sense; these men were coming from the bottom of society with nothing but a labor skill set and no money, property, or rights. This sounds like the surest way to get on one’s own feet, earn a living, and become a member of society, all other things notwithstanding. There was nothing negative about Washington’s speech, regarding the real-world plight of Negroes like lynching, hate crimes, segregation, only looking forward. This must have been a breath of fresh air to hear being on the receiving end,
He too wanted progress, but not without addressing the issues of racism, segregation, and prejudice. Washington’s model was from the ground up, while DuBois’ was “trickle down”, where the top of society make it easier for the bottom. Negroes must be well educated, and pass on that skill set to provide the next generation a chance to be seen equal to white men. DuBois felt that an education was the basis for power, the necessary edge to compete with everyone else, and to make informed decisions, especially the one to vote, “The power of the ballot we need in sheer self-defence, --else what shall save us from a second slavery?” While this is a powerful statement, DuBois’ argument seems out of touch with his fellow people. The Souls of Black Folk has a target audience of other educated black men, but what DuBois doesn’t realize is how far removed he is from the poor former slave. DuBois was given better opportunities than most of his peers, and asking for others to give up a livelihood and focus on studies wasn’t