Critical Evaluation: From Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others

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Critical evaluation
Mr. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois are some of the influential African America people who had some of the perspectives of improving the lives and the living standards of the Blacks. Although the two men devised various programs that advocate ending the discrimination and enhancing equality in different aspects of lives, Du Bois opposed some of the visions that Mr. Washington had for the African American people. Mr. Washington felt that technical education was critical to his people; he advocated for conciliation of the South and required the Blacks to be submittal and silent on the civil and political rights. Du Bois, however, felt that African American needed higher education to bring the aspect of equality in their lives. This essay posits that Du Bois made a successful argument in refuting Washington’s program that intended to improve the lives of the African Americans.
Du Bois Claims that “Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission, but adjustment at such a peculiar time as to make his Programme unique” (Du Bois 1). He supports his claim by saying that; 1). People were in a period of economic development and devising a program that focuses on making money is not enough to achieve the higher ends in life. 2). A Programme that allows the superior races to interact with the less advanced races intensifies the race feeling making the Blacks appear inferior.
Du Bois claims that “Mr. Washington withdraws many of the high demands of Negroes as men and American citizens” (Du Bois 1). He says that 1). The Black people have suffered a history of discrimination, a program that advocates for self-respect is more important than that which supports the accumulation of wealth. 2). The policy of submission of Negros has been in existence for over 15 years and has contributed to the disfranchisement of the Black person, legalization of the inferiority of negroes, and withdrawal of aid to support negroes in higher learning...