108. The Intellectual Rivalry of the Century: Washington vs. Du Bois, BHM Biopic

02/08/24 • 35 min

Just on the heels of slavery, two Black intellectuals rose to national fame. With opposing ideas about Black progress, they ushered in an ideological rivalry that has raged on for generations. Long before MLK vs Malcolm X or LeBron vs Jordan, there was Booker T. Washington versus W.E.B. Du Bois.
The debate that they started (about the best route for achieving racial equity) is the exact same feud we're still living in today. They have been so influential that our current culture war perfectly takes the shape of Washington versus Du Bois. We're adopting their ideas, and we don't even know it.
Your listen next list:
The War Within Antiracism: Why the Movement is Divided on Apple & Spotify
The All-Important Debate: Individual Vs. Group Identity on Apple & Spotify
Ep 101, Is Race Real or Not? It's Complicated on Apple & Spotify
To support Marie and get exclusive resources, head to patreon.com/mariebeech. To learn more about Marie's DEI services, head to mariebeecham.com.
Sources: History, W.E.B. Du Bois; History, Booker T. Washington; History, W.E.B. Du Bois vs. Booker T. Washington; Clint Smith for CrashCourse; PBS Archives, The Debate Between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington; Atlantic Online, Ralph McGill Interview With W.E.B. Du Bois

Previous Episode

107. The Forgotten Period of Unbelievable Racial Progress: Reconstruction

Many people don't know that the civil rights being fought for in the 1960s were actually a reality a century earlier, in the 1860s, for a few short years. Immediately after slavery, Black Americans saw integrated schooling, Black officials elected to office, and social and economic advancement. However, all of this progress was met with such fury, we forget it was ever made at all.
Too many history lessons skip over this eventful period of time. The cultural war that followed the Civil War; surprising gains made; secret, off-the-books political deals... There's a whole lot more to the story than "40 acres and a mule."
Your listen next list:
Juneteenth— All the Stuff No One Ever Taught You on Apple & Spotify
The History of Racism in the Criminal Justice System on Apple & Spotify
Sources: TIME, How the 1876 Election Tested the Constitution and Effectively Ended Reconstruction; TIME, How Reconstruction Still Shapes American Racism; Vox, How Hillary Clinton got on the wrong side of liberals' changing theory of American history; History, The Perils and Promise of America’s Third Reconstruction; History, Reconstruction; History, The Great Migration.

Next Episode

109. The Lesser-Known Events that Birthed the Civil Rights Era

Sandwiched between the better-known periods of history, we have a lesser-known set of events that served as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. There are four major happenings that define the 1900s - 1950s. In this episode, we'll uncover them all.
Your listen next list:
The Intellectual Rivalry of the Century: Washington vs. Du Bois, BHM Biopic on Apple & Spotify
To support Marie and get exclusive resources, head to patreon.com/mariebeech. To learn more about Marie's DEI services, head to mariebeecham.com.
Books Mentioned: Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo-Beals; White Rage by Carol Anderson; The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Other Sources: History, Black History Milestones; Britannica, African American History; Britannica, The Harlem Renaissance; Britannica, The Great Migration; History, The Great Migration.