ColeSebastian 10/4/13 Green Inthelate1800sandearly1900s,twoAfricanAmericanwritersemergedasinfluential visionariesfortheAfricanAmericancommunity:BookerT.WashingtonandW.E.B.DuBois. BothmenaffectedthedriveofAfricanAmericanstosucceed.Theyurgedblackstostopletting themselvesbesuppressedandtoentertheworkforceandprovideselfindependence.Bornon April5,1856BookerT.Washingtonwasoneofthelastblackleaderstobebornintoslavery.He servedasanadvisortoTheodoreRooseveltandWilliamHowardTaft.Asopposedto Washington,W.E.BDuBoisneversawthehorrorsofslavery.BornonFebruary23,1868Du BoiswasraisedinGreatBarrington,Massachusettsinarelativelyintegratedcommunity.While Washingtonclaimedthatthepathtoequalitylayineconomicindependence,DuBoisknewthat thepoweroftheballotwasthemostpowerfultoolinthefightforequality. WashingtonwasanolderandmorewellknownthenDuBois.

Hisviewsoneconomic independenceforblackAmericansweremorewidespreadthanDuBoisideasonpolitical equality.Raisedinslavery,Washingtongrewupwithnoeconomicindependence.Thisismost likelywhatcausedhimtobelievethattheremustbefor[AfricanAmericans]economic independence.Washingtonslifeofservitudemayhavecausedhimtobelievethatblacksmust acceptsegregationandjointheworkingclass.Uponexperiencinghischildhoodsurroundedby racismandpurehate,heknewitwasimpracticaltoexpectthatsegregationwouldceasetoexist andthatblacksshouldsimplyworkhardandwouldeventuallybecameequalfinancially.Inot onlylearnedthatitwasnotadisgracetolabor,butlearnedtolovelabor,notaloneforitsfinancial value,butforlaborsownsakeandfortheindependencesaysWashingtonwhendescribing whathelearnedatHamptonNormalandAgriculturalInstitute(HamptonUniversity). Washingtonschallengingbackgroundgreatlyaffectedhisviews,whichDuBoislacks. DuBoishadalessconservativeviewonthepathtoequalitythanWashingtonandwas determinedtoachievecompleteequalityinapoliticalandsociallevel.AlthoughDuBoisclaimed

ColeSebastian 10/4/13 Green thathehadagreatrespectforWashingtonhelayaheavyresponsibilityfortheconsummation ofNegrodisfranchisement,thedeclineoftheNegrocollegeandthefirmerestablishmentofcolor castein[America]."(DuBois,Crisis)BecauseofhowWashingtonglorifieslabor,DuBois claimsthatWashingtonhascausedAfricanAmericanstolosethewilltobecomeeducated.Du Boisintentisforblackstobecomeeducatedvoterswithequalpoliticalpower.Thepowerofthe ballotweneedinsheerdefense,elsewhatshallsaveusfromasecondslavery?DuBoisknew thatblackscouldnotchangeanythingiftheyhadnosayinthegovernmentorfederalandstate election.ButthegovernmentwasnotcompletelyacceptingofAfricanAmericanpoliticalpower. EvenwithWashingtonandDuBoisinfluentialwork,thegovernmenthadcompletepower oversuccessofmanyAfricanAmericans.Althoughthegovernmentwashelpfultoblackswith theFreedmen'sBureauandotherorganizations,thesegovernmentmissionscausedAmonga largeclass,adependenceuponthegovernmentforeveryconceivablething.(Washington, 61).Washingtonisaccusingthegovernmentofcoddlingcitizensandnotlettingblacksfindtheir owneconomicindependence.W.E.BDuBoisfacedamajorgovernmentobstaclewhenstriving toachievepoweroftheballotforblacks,theGrandfatherClause.TheGrandfatherClause,along withpolltaxesandliteracytests,madeitimpossibleforfreedmentovote.Governmentbarriers liketheseareimpenetrablenomatterhowmanymuchoneralliesthepeople. Today,AfricanAmericanshavebotheconomicindependenceandthepoweroftheballot, causingthemtobeequalunderthelaw.Butracismstillringstruethroughoutmanyareasofthe nation.BothBookerT.WashingtonandW.E.B.DuBoistookhugestridestocreatetrueequality. Theremaybenorightwaytopromoteequality,andtrueequalitymayneverbeachieved.But theresnowaytocreateabsoluteequalitywithoutfirstacknowledgingthebiggestbarrier,the peopleofAmerica.

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ColeSebastian 10/4/13 Green