But the New South was up to its old tricks. States were avoiding post-Civil War constitutional amendments that mandated equal justice and prohibited racial discrimination in voting. So, at the opening ceremony, esteemed educator Booker T. Washington offered a vision for how black people could resist backsliding, telling an enthralled audience: Exiled. ” Working honestly and becoming financially independent was the way forward. Social equality will await. This was the Atlanta Compromise.
Noted sociologist and author Webb Du Bois thought otherwise, believing that political action and enforcement of civil rights protections would renew the South and the nation. He said the effort would be led by a “talented 10,” a select few university-educated men who embody “the ideals of the community” and “direct the thoughts and heads of the community.” Proposed.[ing] That social movement. ” Equality doesn’t wait. Exceptional black men will follow suit.
The debate between Washington and DuBois captures the essence of the nation in a particularly American, and especially black, way. It’s a shared history. Washington denounced DuBois’s methods as elitist, deriding him as saying it was better to “earn a dollar in a factory” than “spend a dollar in an opera house.” Mr. Du Bois replied that a people who are not educated about the systems of democracy and justice will gain little of either, no matter how hard they work. How could black people find an America that others enjoyed? It was as much a question for the people as it was for the country.
It’s not just a question. This discussion provides a glimpse into the country’s trends, its essence and character. There is a core tension in the United States between economic prosperity where everyone gets their fair share and democracy where everyone has a voice. We are a people who cannot agree on which is more important. Or where should I put more energy into? Or who can participate and how? Compromise is always necessary, but sometimes it’s the only way. But someone has to tell others that this time they will not benefit, that democracy is not yet available.
The Atlanta Exposition provided a snapshot of a new South in which economic growth had the potential to make space for everyone, including those excluded from democracy. The editorial declared that prosperity meant “political, economic, and racial problems resolved.” But this was foolish money for Du Bois. It would be better for a capable 10th to venture out of the black community as a university emissary, advocate in the halls of power, and return with knowledge and rights. People thus equipped can succeed in any market they choose. They just need to make a living until the heroes come back, if at all.
This was more than just an intellectual exercise. Even if the economy was thriving at the time, exploitative sharecropping systems made it incredibly difficult for black people to prosper. Poll taxes and literacy tests took away votes from the Civil War, costing more than a million Americans. Violence and the threat of violence were always present. Some of the talented tenth men went on adventures and were lynched. So did some of Washington’s hard workers.
As a result, the New South modeled at the World’s Fair never materialized. The Old South refused to die and instead found salvation. The next 70 years saw a flurry of transformative legislation, executive actions, and judicial decisions. Decades of history suggest that people who are denied equal rights will not give up until they get it. If black history has taught America nothing else, it’s that equality is tired of waiting. The civil rights movement brought long-awaited national corrections and a valuable victory for Washington’s workers and Du Bois’ Ten. It is a victory not only for the people but also for the country.
Although they never saw eye to eye, they always shared the goal of making America more true to its ideals. Washington spent his later years manipulating political elites to direct resources to the black South. Du Bois abandoned his Tenth Idea and came to believe that democratic equality was nearly impossible because the country’s economic practices often left workers, especially blacks, behind. Ta. Atlanta is proving today the value of their different approaches and the inadequacy of each approach. It became a place where it was common for black people to earn money with their own hands during the day and enjoy the theater at night. The same is true in other regions, the South and the United States. But they still have to work harder for prosperity and fight harder for inclusion.
Washington ended his exposition speech with optimism that America could address racial issues and make justice available to all. “This, combined with our material prosperity, will bring a new heaven and a new earth to our beloved South,” he vowed. It’s a dream especially for Americans, especially black people. And you can’t compromise.