Essay on Booker T. Washington: Advocating for African Americans After Emancipation

Introduction

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1883 gave freedom to African Americans in most states. After the American Civil War, the 13th Amendment emancipated all slaves in the United States. African Americans from the southern states had different political opinions based on their experiences during the slavery era. Booker T. Washington was among the most significant African American who gained prominence between the 1870s to the First World War. Booker T. Washington advocated for the improvement of the African American lifestyle. After the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the U.S federal government did not consider the rights of African Americans. The majority of Blacks received education from institutions of higher learning.

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How African Americans Addressed Social, Political, and Economic Constraints

After the Reconstruction period, the social, political, and economic status of African American people changed due to the increase in literacy levels. During this era, black American artistic genius in painting, music, literature, dance, and sculpture increase in the United States, therefore, changing their social and economic status.

After the death of Frederick Douglass in 1895, Booker T. Washington delivered a speech at an explosion in Atlanta. In his speech, Booker T. Washington offered news strategies for improving racial progress in the United States of America. According to Booker T. Washington, Blacks should remain in southern states to avoid racial segregation and attain white cooperation. The strategy will ensure that African Americans improve their social and economic conditions in the United States. After his speech, Booker T. Washington gained support from many African Americans, especially business people, because their aspirations related to his call for social and economic advancements.

One-third of the southern population comprised the Black American race. Booker T. Washington empathized on racial equality, especially in addressing social, economic, and political constraints in the United States. W.E.B Du Bois also championed the improvement of working conditions for the industrial worker. Urban life did not favor the rights of African Americans due to racial segregation in the United States. The social, economic, and political constraints of African Americans varied depending on their states. For example, those living in the southern states had different ideologies from the northern Negroes. W.E.B Du Bois advised African Americans on the importance of unity and having a familiar voice.

After the amendment of the constitution in 1866, African Americans started to enjoy the right to vote. At the beginning of 1900, many African Americans were literate, but the federal government did not give allowed them to enjoy their civil rights. The literate African Americans advocated for their civil rights other than voting to address political constraints. Granting the Blacks the right to vote enabled them to seek their employment, participate in political activities, use public accommodations, and acquire land.

Also, voting enabled Blacks to unite together in addressing political, social, and economic constraints in the United States. W.E.B Du Bois advised African Americans to remain united to avoid negative criticism from white society. The 20th century was an era of civil rights for African American society in the United States.

Conclusion

The African Americans used various approaches in addressing constraints related to their social, political, and economic aspects of life. W.E.B Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas, and Robert Russa Moton were the main manuscript in aspiring other people from the black race towards attaining equality in the United States. The increase in the number of literate African Americans resulted in the provision of voting rights.

References

Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others. ProQuest Information and Learning, 1903. Retrieved from: https://faculty.fordham.edu/kpking/classes/uege5102-pres-and-newmedia/Dubois-by%20s-connell.pdf

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: Seagull Fourth Edition. Vol. 1. WW Norton & Company, 2013. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uUbeCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR15&dq=Give+Me+Liberty!&ots=rXZSXLAime&sig=yc0fcdetz4cZJhEBcRoxWJ9030A&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Give%20Me%20Liberty!&f=false