Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois both had different up bringings which later affected their political views. Booker T. Washington was born a slave, while W.E.B. DuBois was born free. They were both African-American men but had different political views and beliefs. The morals and upbringings of these two men were different, but both inspired them to strive to make a difference in African-American's lives.
Booker T. Washington being born a slave lead him to believing that people should have to work for what they deserve. Sometimes it takes hard work in order to get what you want or need and things should not always be natural or handed out as a gift. Booker T. Washington wanted African-Americans to have more rights and to be equals with whites, but he thought they should have to earn some of their rights. African-Americans needed to be educated and be able to make a living, which is why Booker T. Washington started the Tuskegee Institute. "He rejected the pursuit of political and social equality with whites in favor of developing vocational skills and a reputation for stability and dependability," (pbs.org). If colored people were not educated then they couldn't get a job and if they didn't have a job they could not sustain themselves, so therefore they had not earned their rights as and American citizen.
W.E.B. DuBois was born into a free African-American family. As a free man, he had the outlook that rights should be natural. He thought that one should not have to work to get their rights, which is not fair to those who were educated and had jobs. DuBois, unlike Washington did not wasn't blacks to work for their rights and accept discrimination. Since he was born free, unlike many other African-Americans at the time, he did not understand what it meant to work for one's own freedom and rights like the black slaves did.
These two men defiantly had different views but both wanted to gain more rights for African-Americans. The political views of DuBois and Washington were important factors which influences their beliefs and morals. DuBois approached getting more rights for colored people through protests. Booker T. Washington was more civil with trying to obtain rights for African-Americans. The fact that Dubois was free and with how he approached the issue seems to be due to his up bringing. Since Booker T. Washington was a former slave and chose to remain low key with trying to get rights for blacks reflects to how he was once a slave. Dubois was used to getting what he wanted without much fight, while Washington was used to having to work for what he wanted and not having much of a say about anything that happened to him.
An example of a present day person who is a spokes person for colored people is President Barack Obama. Today he makes sure that blacks and white are equal. He oversees that they are each treated with the respect that they deserve, are educated, and are employed. “This dream of equality and fairness has never come easily—but it has always been sustained by the belief that in America, change is possible. Today, because of that hope, coupled with the hard and painstaking labor of Americans sung and unsung, we live in a moment when the dream of equal opportunity is within reach for people of every color and creed.”
These three men all had one thing in common and that was looking out for the rights of others, especially colored people. Their views differed some in how they thought the best way to accomplish achieving more equal rights for all people. Their different views and morals have to do with how they have been raised all their life. Obama, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Dubois all shared common ground of one goal and that was to help others obtain equal rights.
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