Booker T Washington,W.E.B. Du Bois, & Barack Obama

Would Booker T Washington & W.E.B. Du Bois be proud of  Barack Obama  if they were alive today?  Washington died in the year 1915, but his memoir “Up From Slavery“ is a brilliant autobiography. Washington  was born in the year 1856 nine years before  slavery ended in America. Washington grew up to become a business man and founder of his own college the Tuskegee Institute.

I am cognizant that  Washington has been dead for almost 100 years, but  I think  he was gorgeous!  Washington  had a masculine, confident, charismatic, demeanor. Barack Obama is just so sexy, he is also a leader and not a follower.  I don`t always agree with Obama`s  politics, but he`s definitely the hottest president in United States history!

I think people have to realize Obama is not  Jesus Christ he is just a politician. Of course, Obama is America`s first African American president so a lot of people expect a lot from him. I believe people should judge Obama at the end of second year of his administration. Obama has only been in office for one year, it is obvious people are too unrealistic they expect change to occur overnight.

Obama is a shrewd politician, he realizes he cannot just placate to African Americans he has to include everyone. The more people Obama reaches the more political power he can obtain.  Booker T Washington was a pragmatist, some people say Washington was an “uncle tom.“ I think W.E.B. Du Bois was a snob, I don`t agree with Du Bois “talented tenth“ theory. Du Bois talented tenth analogy is that only the most “educated“ blacks could lead the black race to emancipation.

He also has a second famous ideology called  “double consciousness“.

I believe Du Bois  “double consciousness“ theory  is still very important in the 21st century. Du Bois theory is blacks are cognizant  that the  mainstream world views black people negatively. He was concerned that black people internalize the white supremacist ideologies the mainstream have about us and this controls how we view ourselves. He believed that black people interpret the racism and prejudice and thus believe we are automatically believe we are inferior due to white supremacist theories. Du Bois challenged white supremacy through his literary work and politics.

Du Bois was born in the year 1868, his father was half white  and his mother was an African American woman. Du Bois became a  sociologist and if you have read `The Souls of Black Folk“ some of his comments about the black poor was controversial. I remember reading Du Bois “The Souls of Black Folk“ and Washington`s “Up From Slavery“ and it is amazing how their views on race are so different. It is also interesting to point out that Washington, Du Bois, and Obama all are mixed race. Washington`s mother was raped by the white male slave master in 1856 right before the Civil War.

Washington did not know his white father. Du Bois was the first African American to graduate from Harvard University with a doctorate degree. Du Bois was one of the founding leaders of the NAACP. Some people believe Du Bois was a snob because he believed the “talented tenth“ could save the black race. I also learned Du Bois was very influential, he published a magazine called “The Crisis“, he was involved in politics campaigning for equal rights for black people. Du Bois died in Ghana in the year 1963.

Washington was more pragmatic, although also controversial,because he believed blacks should placate to the white elite in order to obtain freedom. Washington was very resourceful in acquiring funding from powerful white Americans to fund the Tuskegee Institute. Washington believed blacks should learn trades and forget about obtaining a liberal arts education.