The Road From Slavery to Success Essay

In the 19th century, a new era emerged for the African Americans. The Blacks had to celebrate their freedom to an end of the slavery days. Despite this freedom, African Americans still had a problem in accessing education, good health facilities and the freedom of business operation. The Whites oppressed the African Americans seeing them as poor and violent. Discrimination of the Blacks was not only an American issue but also an issue of international concern. "The Souls of Black Folk" is a book that talks about the history of lives of African Americans after the slave trade period ended. W.E.B DuBois talks of instances that Blacks face due to color discrimination including some of his own experiences. Booker T Washington in his book "Up From Slavery" talks about his experiences when growing up as a slave to becoming a nationwide leader in the African American history. He went through difficulties for him to get education but finally, through his determination he made it. While "Criteria of Negro Art" relates the issues of racism with art. Du Bois addresses the challenges that African artist face due to color discrimination.

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Both of these books were written in the early 90's when African Americans were highly oppressed and devalued everywhere in the entire country. Booker T Washington and W.E.B DuBois are both African American writers who were advocating for the rise of Black Men in the society despite all the challenges they were facing due to their color. Washington and Du Bois used their work as a platform to spread the message everywhere to all African Americans that they don't have to sit and wait for the full freedom they have to stand up and look for it. These men served as examples of the whole Blacks race that you do not need to be White to be heard or to make a difference. They were both highly educated and pushed for education, and both see it as a savior of their race from oppression. They were both influential leaders in empowering economic and industrialization among other Blacks. Du Bois and Washington differed in their methodology to address liberation to their society. Du Bois believed in the immediate up rise and fight for their rights. Using one in every ten males to learn and in return save the culture. Washington in his book focused on making sure he equips his students with both academic and technological skills while Du Bois encouraged all artists to keep doing their work and stop fearing the fact that they are Blacks. Washington used this phrase "Cast down your buckets where you are" more frequently in his endless support of embracing benefits of labor.

Double consciousness is the act of seeing yourself in the eyes of other people. In this context, Du Bois feels like his identity is of two different regions, therefore, making it hard for him to know where he belongs. Living in a society that has oppressed and devalued you, unifying and living as one family remains a challenge. Du Bois is in a dilemma between which of the two identities fits him well; should he refer himself as an African or an American, a condition that is imposed on Blacks by default since they are settling in the States. In Washington's work, he also felt like the other races do not formally recognize Africans as equal to them, but he did not hold on to such fears. Instead, he stood up for what he wanted.

Du Bois uses the Veil as a predominant theme in his book. A veil is like an opaque curtain that you can't see to the other side of it which symbolized color differences. The Veil symbolizes the barrier that separated the Blacks and the Whites. "Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil" (Pg 12). Therefore, the Blacks cannot see through outside the Veil, and the Whites could not tell the oppression the Negros were going through in their ghettos.

"Up From Slavery" is a book that focuses mainly on the power of education. Washington believes knowledge is the only tool he can use to make a difference in his society. Washington's life is a good example here despite all the challenges he never gave up on his quest for education. Washington was so determined to go to study at Hampton to gain trade skills, to the extent of altering time in the salt times to get to school on right time, building bricks with his students. In his educational institution, he made sure every student acquires both academic and technical knowledge. Washington's goal was to make sure many African Americans get jobs that will help them to be independent in life, and this will make the Blacks earn respect from the other races.

In Du Bois book, we see how Africans were suppressed and their rights abused despite being given the freedom from slavery. As Du Bois says, the Whites confronted us asking about how we feel about our place in the society "How does it feel like to be a problem? they say..."(Du Bois p7). The African Americans had limited access to educational and health rights and other forms of injustices due to their skin color. The Whites considered a successful African Americans as different and good therefore indirectly implying all Africans are expected to be illiterate or violent consequently you must be an exceptional case. Most African American parents supported their kids in doing things like sports and music since these were mostly Black dominated areas. The inaccessibility to education made the struggling Negro artists not to reach their full potentials. In the criteria of a Negro Art Du Bois gives out different examples of rejected artwork and in a real sense, it has met the standards, just because of skin color. In the first chapter of Up From Slavery, Washington is a young slave in the final days of slavery. He passed through daily big jobs and very harsh living conditions while her mother is a plantation cooker. He experienced both slavery and racism. Blacks used their arts like music, pictures in expressing how they feel living under oppression like in the case of Harlem Reinassance.

Washington believed in self-discipline in what you want is the key to make you successful. From his childhood, he had a great passion for studying, and he finally succeeded. He then used his knowledge in helping other Blacks wherever he went to teach. "Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others (Washington p25)" Washington was also determined in the success of Tuskegee. It was the largest educational institution managed by Blacks. Its success will inspire many Blacks, but if it fails, it will "injure the whole race" (Washington 55).Washington convinced all other Africans to stop the pretense of trying to impress others on their outward appearances and to start to gain technical skills (brick making, plumbing, and masonry) to better their lives instead of waiting for the government. In the "Criteria of Negro Art," Du Bois inspires all Black Artists to keep on the creative work they are doing it will finally pay. Washington and Du Bois serve as role models to their society, their courage, determination, and inspiration is a true reflection of what a leader should act. These two writers show the essence of self-determination and passion is the key to being successful, despite your race.

Works Cited

Du Bois, W. E. B. "The Souls of Black Folk, ed. David W. Blight and Robert Gooding-Williams." (1997).

Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. The Oxford WEB Du Bois Reader. Oxford University Press, USA, 1996.

Washington, Booker T. Up from slavery. Simon and Schuster, 2013.