AlexWeidenfeld

October8,2015
BlueGroup
BookerT.WashingtonandW.E.B.DuBoisOpinionEssay
Inthepast,therehavebeenmanytimeswhenthebackingfordifferentcivilrights
movementshaswaxedandwaned.However,racismisoneissuethathasalwaysbeenrelevant
andwillcontinuetoberelevantfordecadestocome,asracialprejudiceisdeeprootedin
Americansociety.Aroundtheturnofthe19thcentury,BookerT.WashingtonandW.E.B
DuBoisweretwoprominentblackmenwhoadvocatedforracialequality,theformerfocusing
oneconomics,thelatterfocusingonpoliticalrights.InmoderndayAmerica,Washingtons
economicprioritiesareoutdated,whileDuBoissocialandpoliticalbeliefsarestillapplicable
however,itwouldbeoversimplifyingracerelationstostatethatthetwoarenotintertwined.
Solidthesis
BookerT.Washingtonbelievedthateconomicindependencewastheroadtoracial
equality.Whilefinancialequalityisapartofegalitarianism,hisstanceonhowtogaineconomic
independencewasunfeasible:hethoughtthatrightsgrantedbypoliticianswereartificialand
racialequalitywouldonlybeachievedwhenblackshadworkedforit(Washington).In
UpFrom
Slavery
,hewritesNoracethathasanythingtocontributetothemarketsoftheworldislongin
anydegreeostracized(Washington).Thisstatementisobviouslyfaulty,asblackshadbeen
enslavedintheUSforcenturiesandproducedmuchofthecotton,acashcrop,growninthe
South.Despitetheireconomiccontributions,theywerestillextremelyoppressed,whichwasthe
faultoftheslaveowners,nottheslaves.Also,prejudicemakesfinancialachievementinthe

businessworldmoredifficultforpeopleofcolor,withthehighestquintileinhouseholdincome
forblacks$40,455lessthanthehighestquintileforwhites(USCensusdata).
DuBois,ontheotherhand,believedthateducation,advocacy,andgainingpoliticalrights
wouldsetblacksonthepathtoracialequality.Hewritesthat[welleducatedanddiplomatic
blackmen]feelinconscienceboundtoaskofthisnationthreethings:1.therighttovote.2.
CivicEquality.3.Theeducationofyouthaccordingtoability(DuBois).Histhirdpointisrather
flawed,asachildcannotutilizethefullextentoftheirskillsunlessheorshehasbeeneducated.
However,hisfirsttwopointsarestillrelevantandcanbeappliedtomoderndayracerelations.
Today,blackpeoplehavetherighttovote.However,theyareademographicthatissorely
underrepresentedinpoliticsandlaw,andmanydecisionsinthegovernmentdonotprioritizethe
needsofblacks.Currently,civicequalityforblacksisanimportantissue,especiallyregarding
caseswithpolicebrutality.Inmultipleevents,policeofficersandcivilianshavekilledunarmed
blackteenagersandnotbeenchargedwithmurder.DuBoisfocusonpoliticsisstillvery
relevantandapplicable.
Thesetwoviewpointsseemfundamentallydifferent.Washingtonfocusesonsolely
economics,andDuBoisfocusessolelyonpolitics.TheblamethatWashingtonputsonblacksfor
theirownoppressionisfaulty,andrendershisargumentuseless,whilemostofDuBoisbeliefs
arestillfittinginthecontextofmodernracerelations.However,thetwomindsetsareinvariably
linked.Oneinfourblackmenareintroublewiththelaw,whichisaveryhighstatistic(US
Censusdata).However,poverty,whichisgrowingintheblackunderclass,oftenpromptspeople
tobreakthelawoutofnecessity.Thatisjustonecauseofthehighstatistic.Thoughgivenfull
rights,blacksarenotregardedashighlyinthecourtoflawaswhites,andwouldbemorelikely

togetarrestedforsmallcrimesthanwhites.Inthisway,politicsandeconomicsareconnected.
Broadeningperspectives,findinglinksbetweenviewpoints,andprioritizingtheneedsofthose
whoareneverputfirstistheonlywaytofurthertheUSonthepathtoracialequality.