Bookter T. Washington Vs. Webb Duboise

Booker T. Washington Union W.E.B

By: Jeremy Howard

MWF 9

In Dudley Randall’s poem Booker T. Washington and W.E.B, one is presented with two orders of actions for success: Washington’s view of working hard and saving for what one wants, and W.E.B.’s view of studying hard and fighting for civil rights. Both eminent men of color have valid points of view, but which course of action is the correct one? Many can argue that without money, there is no mean for success; and others can argue that without knowledge one can’t obtain wealth and power. Both are correct and are wrong in a sense. Without the “golden mean” of knowledge and money, there are no means for success.

Booker T. Washington’s view of success, depicted by Duddley Randall, is that of working hard and reaping the benefits. Booker T. was not concerned with civil rights, but more so of “cultivating land, and buying a house” (Dudley Randal poem Booker T. and W.E.B.) Booker T. Washington was on the right path of gaining financial means and owning property, but his negligence in the matter of civil rights, later expounded upon by W.E.B. proves to be a costly error.

W.E.B’s view of success was that of gaining social and political rights, and “cultivating” the mind. W.E.B. points out