Washington and Addams

Introduction

Booker T. Washington and Jane Addams both appealed to the American value of equality by emphasizing the importance of education and opportunity for all. Washington argued that African Americans should be given the opportunity to learn trades and skills that would enable them to become self-sufficient and independent. He argued that this would lead to greater equality between the races, as African Americans would be able to compete on an equal footing with whites in the economic sphere. Addams, meanwhile, argued that the social question could be addressed by providing greater access to education and opportunity for all, regardless of race or class. She argued that this would lead to greater equality between the classes, as those from lower classes would be able to compete on an equal footing with those from higher classes. Both Washington and Addams sought to redefine the American value of equality by emphasizing the importance of education and opportunity for all. They argued that true equality could only be achieved when all individuals had access to the same resources and opportunities, regardless of race or class. This was a radical redefinition of the American value of equality, as it shifted the focus away from simply providing equal rights and instead emphasized the importance of providing equal access to resources and opportunities.

Washingtons View

Washington's Atlanta speech, also known as the "Atlanta Compromise," argued for racial cooperation and economic progress for African Americans. He argued that African Americans should focus on economic progress and education, rather than on political rights. He also argued that African Americans should accept segregation and work within the existing social and political system to improve their economic and educational opportunities. In that address, Washington said that blacks would not ask for the right to vote. Washington believed that the best way for African Americans to gain equality was through economic progress, i.e., labor and hard work and education, rather than through political action, which he knew the white Protestant establishment was not willing to give. He believed, however, that part of the reason for the prejudice of the white establishment against free blacks was that the white establishment believed the negro was good for nothing. He reasoned that if African Americans focused on economic progress and proved their value and worth to the establishment, then they would eventually gain the respect of white Americans and be able to gain the right to vote. He felt that asking for the right to vote would only lead to further conflict and violence. He wanted African Americans to focus on improving their economic and educational opportunities, and he believed that this would eventually lead to the right to vote.

As Washington stated in the Industrial Education address, he advocated for industrial education and development for the Negro not because I want to cramp him, but because I want to free him.[footnoteRef:2] What he meant was that blacks did not need a classical education, like the sort that other scholars called for, such as Du Bois and Douglass. Washington was practical: that is why he proposed that African Americans should focus on learning practical skills and trades in order to gain economic independence. He argued that education should be focused on teaching practical skills such as farming, carpentry, and mechanics, rather than academic subjects such as Latin and Greek. He also argued that African Americans should focus on economic progress and self-reliance, rather than political rights. Thus, in Washingtons "Industrial Education" address, one sees a Washington as a practical leader and advocate for practical change, arguing for the importance of industrial education, i.e., vocational education for African Americans. The better they can do a trade, the better they would be able to fend for themselves in the real world. Washington stated, "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem."[footnoteRef:3] In short, classical studies were fine for someone who had the skills of comprehensionbut Washington understood that not all blacks had that capacity, foundation, or interest. Not all could or would want to write and speak like Douglass or Du Bois. Thus, he sought a better and more balanced way forward for his people. He argued that an industrial education would provide African Americans with the skills and knowledge necessary to become self-sufficient and successful in the modern economy. He also argued that industrial education would help African Americans to gain respect and acceptance from the white community. [2: Booker T. Washington, Industrial Education, 3.] [3: Booker T. Washington, Industrial Education, 2.]

The View of Addams

In her book In Twenty Years at Hull-House, Jane Addams discussed and proposed a variety of solutions to the "social question," which she viewed...

…how reformers can use targeted interventions to bring about lasting social change. It was a new voice of direction at a time when American society was buckling under the weight of oppression. People were organizing, unions were rising, immigrants were pushing back against the establishment, and leaders were looking for a way to revitalize the concept of equality.

For his part, Booker T. Washington was a giant leader within the African American ommunity and was one of the leading advocates for equality and opportunity. His work largely focused on education, utilizing his signature initiatives of Industrial Education and the Atlanta Compromise to redefine these values within the context of the post-Reconstruction south, wherein practical solutions were badly needed. Washington saw higher education for African Americans as being secondary at best, instead viewing industrial education as necessary to create true economic equality among African Americans in order to overturn old biases held against them in southern society. Secondly, the Atlanta Compromise enabled Washington to slowly gain civil rights by accommodating racism rather than trying to fight it outright through reckless confrontations. He argued that if African Americans could prove they were able to run successful businesses and provide skillfully executed labor then over time this would cause whites to eventually accept Blacks becoming equals of whites under lawthus providing a more realistic approach towards achieving equality and opportunity among African Americans within a hostile political environment at the time. Washington did not say that racism and segregation were okaybut he understood that the fight for equality was not going to be won overnight.

Conclusion

Booker T. Washington advocated for racial equality through education and economic advancement. He believed that African Americans should focus on improving their economic and educational opportunities in order to gain respect and recognition in society. He also believed that African Americans should strive to gain political power and influence in order to gain full equality. Jane Addams was a social reformer and advocate for social justice. She believed that all people should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their race, gender, or class. She worked to improve the lives of the poor and disadvantaged by creating social programs and advocating for civil rights. She also believed in the importance of education and the need for everyone to have access to it. Both Washington and Addams worked to redefine the concept of equality and adapt it…