Booker T. Washington was an educator as well as a reformer, and the most influential African American leader of his time. In his speech he preached a philosophy to the African American race of self-help. He urged African Americans to accept discrimination for the time being and concentrate on making themselves better through hard work and education. He believed in education in the crafts, industrial and farming skills to further the African American race and help them prosper. This, he said, would win the respect of whites and lead to African Americans being fully accepted

W.E.B. Dubois had a more do or die attitude, the term “do or die” is used because of his references to the historical abolitionist John Brown early in his speech in which he told John Brown’s story and how he died for his cause. He also later in his speech gives another reference to John Brown and tries to depict a non-violent movement in saying, “We (Niagara Movement) do not believe in violence…But we do believe in John Brown, in that incarnate spirit of justice, that hatred of a lie, that willingness to sacrifice money, reputation, and life itself on the alter of right.”(19) In this he expresses what has been called the “do or die” attitude and attempts to lead his followers into the same state of mind. He uses words in this quote such as justice, hatred and sacrifice which are very strong words. Dubois tries to draw emotion from his audience by using

These two leaders, on the other hand, had many similarities as well. Even though their methods and views were almost totally different they were both striving toward the same goal, the racial equality of African Americans and whites in this country. They both wanted to further educate the African American community whether it be economical or political. They wanted to help achieve what the African American race had been looking for throughout history, total freedom in every sense of the word; the right to vote, desegregated restaurants and public facilities, and equal opportunities with whites.

phrases such as “battle for humanity”(20) and “Negro-Hater”(18). Statements such as these can only be used to arouse a sense of anger in the people that hear it. He also tries to gather an emotional response from his audience with a more religious point of view by accusing the white man of blasphemy on the name of Jesus Christ in saying, “Stripped of verbiage and subterfuge and in its naked nastiness, the new American creed says: Fear to let black men even try to rise lest they become the equals of the white. And this be the land that professes to follow Jesus Christ. The blasphemy of such a course is only matched by its cowardice.”(18) In this quote he also uses words to describe whites such as naked nastiness, fear, and cowardice. Words such as these give his audience a sen

Some topics in this essay:
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