Summary

In post-Reconstruction America, there was a "battle of the Black brains" as the nation debated how to treat a not-so-new population (117). W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington each formulated their own ideas about how Black people should behave and integrate into society, and they both amassed their own followings. Both intellectuals held ideas about how Black people could "be more acceptable to White people" (122). Du Bois believed that Blacks should try their best to assimilate with traditional White culture by seeking education and religion. Washington took a different approach, instead suggesting that Black people should "focus on lower pursuits, such as tending the fields" (122). Despite the fact that both men were marching toward the same overall goal, they did not get along, "like the Biggie and Tupac of their day" (123). When Washington visited President Roosevelt in the White House, Du Bois...