Compare and contrast the approaches of W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington as they fought for African American civil rights. Which man would you have supported? Why?

Discussion 1: Compare and contrast the approaches of W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington as they fought for African American civil rights. Which man would you have supported? Why?

Comment to this post:
Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois approaches were extremely different regarding the Civil Rights but both were leading towards the same goal. Booker T. Washington was a famous black America who was born in slavery and attended college in Virginia. He believed that racism would end once blacks acquired useful labor skills and proved their value to the society. He founded Tuskegee Institute in 1881 and thought that African Americans should accept segregation and disfranchisement, which denied the people to vote. His approach was more subtle and his main goal was Economic Equality. He liked to negotiate with white leaders; however he still believed segregation was needed. Slow and steady seemed to be his approach. Whereas W.E.B. Dubois had a more aggressive approach with his views and goals. He was originally a native of Massachusetts. W.E.B. Dubois was the first black to earn a Ph D from Harvard. His main goal was Social Equality. W.E.B. Dubois wanted immediate equality for blacks. Both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois were very passionate about their rights, they just had different approaches.

If I had to chose who I would support, it would definitely be W.E.B. Dubois. I feel that the more aggressive and quickest approach would have been more successful. Continuing segregation and making African Americans feel discriminated against, in my opinion, would not have been a good idea.

Discussion 2: Module 2 soundscape features an excerpt from President Woodrow Wilson’s speech to Congress asking for a declaration of war against Germany in 1917. How do you interpret Wilson’s words? What do you see as his overall message?

Comment to this post:
His overall message in this speech is to persuade Congress that it is necessary for the U.S to support and join the war. The type of words and phrases Wilson uses are meant to invoke a sense of patriotism and heroism. Wilson wants everyone to know that this is not just another war, it is meant to inspire and guide others, “…bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free”. He repeats the word rights to emphasizes that we will be fighting not for revenge but to protect what the U.S was built upon, democracy. He shows this idea when he says, “But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy…”. At the same time Wilson is trying to convice Congress that war is the right move, he wants reassures them that he intends on keeping the American people safe and that the U.S can win by stating, “God helping her, she can do no other.”

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