Bryson

Johnson
Due November 9th, 2017
Dr. Legette


2. What did Dubois outline as “The Immediate Program of the American Negro”?

The Immediate Program of the American Negro was what DuBois laid out as part of what the

African American should be during the early 1900s. For instance, he states that the American

negro demands equality, political, industrial, and social. He states that he believes this because

it is vital in making sure that his race will survive on earth. This is the first thing that is laid out in

DuBois’ outline of the Immediate Program of the American Negro. He claims that the equality is

meant so that each man on earth is not the same, but they are given some of the same benefits

as the next. There is something beneficial about man being different from his neighbor, but

when one is given many more opportunities than the other, a problem comes to a head. DuBois

also mentions that the negro must have political freedom, because taxation without

representation is not what the United States was founded on. The negro also needs industrial

freedom, which makes him a contributing player in the economy. It allows the African American

race to progress and compete at a high level in society. It is also important for the negro to

have social power, such as the right to vote and make laws that affect people of all color within

the community. African Americans must be present in places of power such as the courtrooms,

political offices, and the correction centers.

3. Booker T. Washington’s “Atlanta Exposition Address,” is often referred to as the “Atlanta
Compromise”. What did Washington asked of blacks and what did he asked of whites? What is
your assessment of this “compromise”?

In Booker T. Washington’s “Atlanta Compromise”, he requested a few major things of the

dividing sides of race in the United States. The main arguments for the compromise was for

African Americans to agree to, in a way, not push for social and economic equality. Washington

stated that they should not agitate within society to achieve these goals, but instead they

should remain silent and keep to their own business. In doing so, Washington believed that the

African Americans would be more likely to receive the benefits that came along with working

within the society. Overall, Washington asked the African American population to remain still

and in this way, change would come. Washington asked the white political rulers to

acknowledge this by allowing blacks to receive things such as equal education and due process.

Also in return, Northern white officials would help funding for African American educational

charities. The big idea here for Washington was that African Americans would compromise

agitation for training in the workforce and the economy. “He believed that through hard work

and hard-earned respect, African Americans would gain the esteem of white society and

eventually full citizenship.” (Wesson, 2011).

For anyone who has studied African American politics or anything dealing with Jim

Crow/Segregation, W.E.B DuBois would be a familiar name. DuBois originally supported this

compromise from Washington, but later realized that it was not the direction that would best

suit African Americans. He believed that it was not enough of a forward push for them at the

time. DuBois believed that there was no real point in the compromise because it did not do

enough good for the African American population. He also believed that it did not cause the

white population to do anything differently. While a compromise is supposed to be something

where both parties meet in the middle, the Atlanta Compromise did not force the white
officials to give up something that they possessed. DuBois stated that it allowed the white

power-holders to remain over the social involvement of African Americans because “not

agitating” was going to be seen as a lateral movement. After reading through some of the

things that DuBois said about the Atlanta Compromise, I would say that I agree with them. My

assessment of this compromise would be that it did indeed not do enough for the African

Americans to rely on it as source of influence. I do believe, however, that it was a great

beginning piece or stepping stone for future occurrences, such as the Civil Rights Movement

and speeches made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

7.Write a short essay in which you elaborate on the concept of black power and the major
issues and debates the concept provoked.
.
Black power is a term that deals with the self-determination of African Americans, which

includes things such as political representation. The term hints at the idea of being able to be

self-sufficient, competitive in the political realm, and progress socially. Things included in black

power are: opposition to racism, implementation of social institutions, and many other ideas

that involve black political thought. Black power was especially prominent during the civil rights

movement during the 1960s and 1970s, but also carries over to today. The movement has been

criticized for a few things, including taking itself and members away from the mainstream type

of civil rights advocacies and claiming superiority over other races.

Some issues that black power has provoked would be the fact that it was criticized by huge civil

rights leaders such as Bayard Rustin and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

8.Write an essay in which you characterize the major differences and similarities in
Washington’s and DuBois’s thought.

One instance in which Booker T Washington and W.E.B. DuBois had differing opinions

was in the case of Washington’s Atlanta Compromise. The Atlanta Compromise was later one of

the most debated actions of the 20th century with regards to African American political thought.

Many leaders thought of this act as something that was not enough in the grand scheme of

things. It was this reason why figures, such as W.E.B DuBois, sought to break away from the

compromise and build towards equal livelihood for all African Americans living within the

United States.

The Atlanta Compromise, as it would later be called, was an agreement given in a

speech by Washington with white leaders of the South to ensure a small form of understanding.

In his speech, Washington strongly believed that African Americans should not press for

equality or agitate within society, and in exchange, they would receive benefits of working

within the economy of the South. The big idea here for Washington was that African Americans

would compromise agitation for training in the workforce and the economy. “He believed that

through hard work and hard-earned respect, African Americans would gain the esteem of white

society and eventually full citizenship.” (Wesson, 2011).

W.E.B DuBois constructed a critique of Washington’s speech for compromise in 1903 in the

form of an essay with the name, “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others.” In this essay, he

explained his reasoning for seeing things in a different light than Washington and can clearly be

called an opponent of what has occurred since the Atlanta Compromise. DuBois states in his

essay that he believes the South did not have the same understanding of the compromise that
Washington did or was hoping for. “…the radicals received it as a complete surrender of the

demand for civil and political equality; the conservatives, as a generously conceived working

basis for mutual understanding.” (DuBois, 1903). What DuBois was saying here is that the white

leaders in the South were eager to accept this “compromise” because it meant that nothing

was really going to change for them. When they controlled the voting booths, the court rooms,

and essentially all authority, it was easy for them to talk about meeting in the middle, only to

keep things exactly the way they were. A complete surrender was accurate wording, as we see

it took decades for things to change in terms of desegregation, voting rights, and Jim Crow.

DuBois claims that Washington’s efforts have reached their limits in a short time, and have

sense become extinct.