FAQ About W.E.B. Du Bois
How did W.E.B. Du Bois' ideas differ from those of Booker T. Washington?
W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were two predominant leaders in African American thought, but they had differing ideologies regarding racial progress. Washington advocated for a more conciliatory approach, promoting vocational education and economic self-reliance as the means for African Americans to improve their status. Du Bois, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of higher education and political activism, arguing for immediate and full civil rights. This ideological rift is famously encapsulated in the 1903 publication of Du Bois' The Souls of Black Folk, where he critiqued Washington's approach.
