Washington v. Du Bois

In the writing by W.E.B Du Bois concerning Booker T. Washington’s “Atlanta Exposition Address,” Du Bois deals out his criticism of Washington’s proposed goals for African Americans following their recent emancipation. Washington uses an analogy of a struggling ship to bring his point across in his address, all in all saying that for success, they should take what they can get. He does not feel that his fellow man should over stride his boundaries in a sense of what he is and is not able to do, namely demand civil equality, gain political power, or receive a higher education.
Du Bois feels that Washington’s advice is not wise considering the repercussions, namely, “1. The disenfranchisement of the Negro. 2. The legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro. 3. The steady withdrawal of aid from institutions of higher training of the Negro.” Du Bois is saying that since Washington encouraged former slaves to avoid things such as politics and pursuing more civil liberties, they have suffered inequality as a result, which is another kind of bondage.
Essentially, the main conflict lies in where both men feel the direction of change must go. Du Bois is supportive of a more direct approach, including not submitting to racial expectancies. He feels that “Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission.” He also relays his opinion in stating, “We have no right to sit silently by while the inevitable seeds are sown for a harvest of disaster to our children, black and white.” In saying this, Du Bois is expressing his conviction that it is reprehensible to sit idly and place limits on change and reform.