Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois

In the aftermath of the Civil War, African-American leaders debated different plans for achieving racial equality. Booker T. Washington believed the initial focus should be on educating African Americans. W. E. B. Du Bois insisted that achieving equal rights was essential. In this lesson, students read a speech of Washington’s and a selection from Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk to consider how their philosophies compared.

[Teacher Materials, Student Materials and PowerPoint updated on 05/06/2020.]