Washington Organized An Effective Approach Of Gradualism...

Washington organized an effective approach of gradualism among blacks but was disrupted by militant leaders like W.E.B. Dubois. After reconstruction, the hopes for full citizenship rights were broken when the government renewed white supremacist control to the South. The government adopted a laissez faire policy, and the Jim Crow laws brought social, occupation, and educational discrimination to the American Negro. In 1896, the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson strengthened the segregation of public facilities in the South. Some leaders supported violence, some urged a return to Africa, and most encouraged peaceful means to change the conditions. Some supported a fight for civil rights, especially the right to vote and others wanted blacks to become skilled workers. These two approaches are called the economic strategy and the political strategy. Washington supported the gradualist economic strategy. He wanted whites to agree to black progress in agriculture, education, and economics. He believed that African Americans should be able to have some jobs and get some education but did not believe complete equality was a practical goal. African Americans should work hard for a job, not have it handed to them. Agriculture was one of the most important aspects to his idea of racial uplift. He supported education in farming and industrial skills, crafts, and development of enterprise, patience, and thrift. He believed they would receive respect from whites and gain