Read primary and secondary sources to gather information about Booker T. Washington and W. E.
B. Du Bois.
2. Take notes on each source. Record facts and details about each leader's response to the discrimination faced by African Americans and his goals for improving conditions
Primary Source - Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Compromise Speech (1895)
- In his speech, Washington emphasized the importance of economic self-sufficiency for African Americans.
- He believed that education and vocational training were essential for black progress, and encouraged African Americans to focus on developing practical skills and working in the trades.
- Washington advocated for gradual progress and accommodation to segregation. He urged African Americans to prove their worth through hard work and economic success, rather than agitation for civil rights.
Secondary Source - W. E. B. Du Bois's "The Souls of Black Folk" (1903)
- Du Bois critiqued Washington's approach in his book, arguing that economic success alone was not enough to achieve full equality for African Americans.
- He believed that education should focus on developing intellectual and cultural capacity, in addition to practical skills. Du Bois advocated for a "talented tenth" of educated African Americans to lead the fight for civil rights.
- Du Bois criticized Washington's accommodationist stance and called for more active resistance to segregation and discrimination. He believed that political and social equality were essential for true progress for African Americans.