Heeding the belief that blacks would be granted civil and political rights after gaining economic independence, Washington urged blacks to temporally set aside their desire for equality and work toward economic advancement. Washington captured this philosophy cleverly in the phrase: "In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress" (Harlan). He was thus of the belief that blacks should remain "separate yet equal" and promoted the temporarily acceptance of segregation in exchange for economic advancement (Salley).

In accordance his philosophy, Washington also maintained that a vocational education, rather than a college education, was the quickest route to economic success for blacks. He held that the development of practical work skills would give blacks an upper hand in seeking employme

Du Bois also criticized Washington's educational and political philosophy and practices. Although he acknowledged the need for industrial training, Du Bois advocated higher education for talented African Americans who could serve as leaders. He feared that the success of Washington's industrial school would limit the development of true higher education for blacks and believed that blacks should also have the opportunity to obtain a college education (Straub).

nt (Taylor). To foster his beliefs, Washington founded the Tuskegee institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, which trained thousands of black people in industrialized trades such as farming, blacksmithing, plumbing, carpentry, and mechanics (Taylor).

Today, African Americans enjoy legally protected rights that were only a dream in the youths of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. Economically, politically, and socially, African Americans have progressed enormously since these men strove to attain racial equality for blacks. Although problems are sill evident today, the United States is a better place for African Americans because of the lives and work of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois (Rowh). These men played pivotal roles in attaining equality for African Americans and should thus never go unremembered.

Within black America, Du Bois's influence primarily appealed to only a small percent of the population. Most of his support came from the black opposition to Washington, which felt that segregation had to be abolished for African Americans to attain equality. However, because the black populous of America only made up

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