Booker T. Washington's main principles:
- Education and Industrial Training: Washington believed that African Americans should focus on acquiring practical skills and education to improve their economic opportunities and ultimately gain respect from white Americans. He advocated for vocational training and industrial education, which would prepare African Americans for jobs in manual labor and skilled trades. By demonstrating their economic value to society, Washington believed, African Americans could gradually break down racial barriers and gain acceptance.
- Accommodation and Gradualism: Washington's approach to racial progress was gradual and conciliatory. He advocated for African Americans to be patient, work hard, and avoid direct confrontation with white Americans. He believed that by proving their worth and building relationships with whites, African Americans could gradually gain civil rights and social equality.
- Self-Help and Economic Independence: Washington emphasized self-help and economic independence as key to African American progress. He encouraged African Americans to establish businesses, save money, and build strong communities. By demonstrating their self-sufficiency, he believed, African Americans could refute negative stereotypes and earn the respect of white society.
W.E.B. DuBois's main principles:
- Education for Leadership and Citizenship: DuBois argued that African Americans needed a broad and liberal education to develop critical thinking skills, leadership qualities, and the knowledge necessary to participate fully in society. He believed that access to higher education was crucial for African Americans to become leaders, intellectuals, and professionals.
- Political Activism and Civil Rights: DuBois advocated for a more assertive and confrontational approach to securing civil rights. He believed that African Americans should actively fight against racial discrimination and demand their full rights as citizens. DuBois supported the Niagara Movement and the NAACP, which aimed to challenge segregation, disenfranchisement, and other forms of racial injustice.
- Double Consciousness and Pan-Africanism: DuBois introduced the concept of "double consciousness," the sense of being both African American and an American, and the internal conflict that arose from this duality. He also emphasized the importance of Pan-Africanism, a movement that sought to unite Africans and African descendants worldwide in the struggle against colonialism and racism.
In summary, Booker T. Washington emphasized practical education, accommodation, and gradual progress, while W.E.B. DuBois advocated for higher education, political activism, and Pan-Africanism as means of achieving racial equality for African Americans.