Booker T. Washington

& W.E.B. DuBois

"There has never been
one way to be black."
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Discourse, debate, and argument
are essential parts of the black experience.

Booker T. Washington

• 1856 - 1915
• Born into slavery in VA
• Grew up without knowing his father
• Taught himself to read
• Attended segregated schools in the South
• Earned a degree from Hampton Institute
• Became 1st leader of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881

W.E.B. DuBois

• 1868 - 1963
• Born free in MA
• Father left, mother died, raised by grandparents
• Attended integrated schools in New England
• Earned BA from Fisk University, another BA from Harvard, then a doctorate from Harvard
• Co-founder of NAACP

Skim the following selections to learn more about their perspectives

Booker T. Washington = http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/39/

W.E.B. DuBois = http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/40