Ch 3 Du Bois "Souls of Black Folk" Lit Response

After the Civil War, the nation was faced with the challenging question as to “Now what?” Both the North and the South were trying to compromise in ways of accepting the African American as their equal. Many of the African American leaders differed in their ideas as to how the Negro would reach its success and be in compliance with what was given to him. In the book “The Souls of Black Folk,” W.E.B. Du Bois takes a strong stand against some of the ideals that Booker T. Washington thought just for the progress in society for his people. Du Bois criticizes Washington stating, “Mr. Washington’s…propaganda has, without a shadow of doubt, helped…the speedier accomplishment,” of “the Disfranchisement of the Negro, The legal creation of distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro, and the steady withdrawal of aid from institution for the higher training of the negro.” [pg 52]
To begin with, Booker T. Washington’s propaganda was said to have caused the “disfranchisement of the Negro.” [pg 52] Du Bois believed that Washington’s ideals went against the urgent need for the African American to fight for a voice in the ballot. Du Bois quotes, “Mr. Washington withdraws many of the high demands of Negroes as men and American citizens.” One can infer from this that Du Bois believed some of the goals that Mr. Washington preached and advocated for, were those that did not act in accordance with getting the African American the reasonable rights as citizens. Du Bois explains that Mr. Washington would urge the Negroes of “voluntarily throwing them (rights) away and insisting that they do not want them…” [pg 55] Clearly, Mr. Washington’s views in trying to compromise with the North, the South, and the Negro, resulted in much criticism. Even after the Negroes had suffered through the arduous task of attempting to grasp freedom, they were being told to give up these rights and conform themselves as inferior citizens to the white men.
Not only did Du Bois blame Mr. Washington’s propaganda for the disfranchisement of the Negro, but also for the “legal creation of distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro.” [pg 52] Du Bois claims “Mr. Washington’s programme practically accepts the alleged inferiority of the negro races.” In other words, Washington recognized and consented, the superiority of the white race over that of the black. This belief of Washington was downright opposed by many other African American leaders in the country at that time period. To them this was a sign of weakness for the Negro, and a way of being vulnerable to the white race’s continuous prejudice and discrimination. As Du Bois clarifies “self-respect is worth more than lands and houses, and that all people who voluntarily surrender such respect, or cease striving for it, are not worth civilizing.” [pg 52] In this quote Du Bois is negating Mr. Washington’s proposal of submitting this self worth to the white race, after much anguish and misery that these Negroes went through for many years as former slaves. Du Bois goes on saying “Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old altitude of adjustment and submission; but adjustment at such a peculiar time as to make his programme unique.” [pg 51] In this citation, Du Bois disapproves of Mr. Washington’s programme with its belief of “adjustment” and “submission.” As opposed to Mr. Washington, Du Bois believed that the Negro should continue the fight for political rights as citizens of the United States of America. Like Du Bois and many other African American leaders, the belief of perseverance was the key in one day receiving these rights for the Negro people. To them, the “voluntary submission” of these rights, and the “cease” of “striving for” them, was indeed without question, incongruous.
Lastly, Mr. Washington’s half truths were said to have assisted and quickened the achievement of “the steady withdrawal of aid from institution for the higher training of the negro.” [pg 52] As Du Bois describes Mr. Washington’s belief, “…that the picture of a lone black boy poring over a French grammar amid the weeds and dirt of a neglected home soon seemed to him the acme of absurdities.” [pg 45] As one can examine the quote, an individual can infer that the Mr. Washington stood against the idea of the education of the Negro as a way of progressing in society. Mr. Washington believed that the Negros success and advancement in society would result from the Industrial Training of which the Negros would take in such places as Tuskegee. Along with Du Bois, many other African American leaders disagreed with this idea of Mr. Washington’s. As it was stated, “Mr. Washington’s programme naturally takes an economic cast, becoming a gospel of Work and Money to such an extent as apparently almost completely to overshadow the higher aims of life.” [pg 51] Like many believed, Mr. Washington’s beliefs and concern in the monetary advancement of the Negro eclipsed strive for higher goals, such as getting an education to reach success. For many of them, it was surprising “that a man of Mr. Washington’s insight cannot see that no such educational system ever has rested or can rest on any other basis than that of the well-equipped college and universities…” [pg 54] Clearly, other well thought of African American leaders like Mr. Washington, found it difficult to understand how such a man with much intellect and reasoning could come to a conclusion as to the belief that the Industrial Training did not depend on higher levels of education from institutions such as college and universities.
Overall, Du Bois justifies his criticism of Mr. Washington’s propaganda aiding and quickening the achievement of “the Disfranchisement of the Negro, The legal creation of distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro, and the steady withdrawal of aid from institution for the higher training of the negro.” [pg 52] In the book “The Souls of Black Folk,” W.E.B. Du Bois contradicted some of the principles that Booker T. Washington had for the Negro people. Many along with Du Bois agreed that Mr. Washington’s ideals did not comply with the necessity of the Negro’s truth in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” [pg 59]