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Autobiography of Booker T. Washington, published in 1901. It traces Washington's life from slavery on a Virginia plantation to a position of fame as an educator and
Up From Slavery
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spokesperson for African-Americans. Its emphasis on vocational (as opposed to higher) education and separation of the races drew opposition from many blacks, notably W.E.B. Du Bois, who accused Washington of colluding with the myth of black inferiority. For his part, Washington believed his compromise would allow blacks to achieve economic
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Up From Slavery
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security, after which they could win equality. In his conclusion he remarks that he has never sought, and that the greatest surprise of his life was the news that Harvard intended to grant him an honorary degree.


Collection of essays by W.E.B. Du Bois, published in 1903. In this epochal work, Du Bois expressed his opposition to Booker T. Washington, polarizing the black intellectual community and setting himself up as the leader of its radical
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faction. Here he claims that Washington's rejection of higher education for blacks essentially accepted the white allegation of inferiority and failed to acknowledge all that African-Americans had to offer their country. Some of the essays are historical, looking at black life and circumstances during and after Reconstruction, and some are personal reflections. The collection remains Du Bois's best-known work.

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"Souls of Black Folk" in the 21st Century

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