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Booker T. Washington 's Achievements

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Booker T. Washington was a very well respected man who also had many people that questioned his knowledge and beliefs. One of the most prominent men that questioned Washington was W.E.B. Du Bois. Du Bois believed differently than Washington and raised numerous questions about Washington’s achievements, but they both ultimately were striving for the same goal. They both wanted African Americans to be equals, and furthermore wanted a level playing field for all, regardless of their skin color. The problem was that they differed on the way to achieve this goal. Du Bois was critical of Washington in the way he handled the civil and political rights of African Americans, the way he stressed industrial revolution over higher education, and the time frame in which to accomplish this ultimate goal they both strove for. To understand all the differences between these two men, we must first look to how and where they were raised. Booker T. Washington was born on a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia in 1858. When Washington was eight his family, and all the slaves, were declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation. Washington then worked the rest of his life on becoming something great. With the help of others, he was able to attend the Hampton Institute, and later continued his life work at the Tuskegee. Washington was basically able to create Tuskegee from nothing and devoted himself in every aspect of his life to making it a prestigious school. Washington states, [A]s I look

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